Like Melting Ice
by Sylver Secret
Summary: Formerly titled The Mechanic: The mechanic Heero hired reminds him of that girl who was walking her puppy. Only this girl seems just as lost as he is. Perhaps together, they will find their way. 1xOC,
1. Are you lost?

I took an old idea; for those of you who read the Mechanic—this is much different, but it's the same story line. I'm just honing my revision skills.

**Like Melting Ice**

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Heerostood in the underground mobile suit hanger with his arms folded across his chest.He grimaced as he looked up at Wing Zero. It had suffered substantial damage during his last mission. It was a miracle he had even made it back to the safe house. The cockpit hatch was warped, scorched and slightly ajar. A large portion of the left wing was missing, and the circuits were exposed. The left leg was almost completely crumpled from the knee down. The left arm was missing all together. Heero sighed; He could repair it---but he did not have the facilities or parts to execute such a task.

"Need parts?" Quatre inquired. He had just entered the hanger, admiring the damage done to the Gundam. _Where was his last mission_, Quatre thought, _On the surface of the sun? _Heero nodded soundlessly. Though his face remained expressionless, Quatre could sense his gratitude. The blonde pilot gave him directions to a warehouse under the guise of a normal automobile repair shop. It was only a few miles away, and the mechanics there supported the Gundam pilots. Quatre had had Sandrock repaired there a couple times.

"Be sure to tell whoever is working the counter that Quatre sent you. They have a password—it changes frequently," Quatre advised. Heero nodded, almost distractedly. He was already mentally formulating a list of necessary parts and estimating their costs. He was not really concerned about the price; money was not an issue. Heero nodded a thank you to Quatre, and after doing some other preparations, headed to the warehouse.

The exterior of the place was unimpressive. It really maintained the appearance of an old auto body repair shop. Heero stepped through the front door, entering the lobby. It was also unremarkable: dingy floors, a few chairs, and a magazine rack. A few feet beyond the makeshift waiting area there was a gray counter. A desktop with a flat screen monitor seemed to serve as a cash register. Sitting at the computer was a girl, about his age. She had a clear, creamy complexion. Wisps of dark brown bangs framed her face, and the rest of her hair pulled into two neat French braids. She had large, warm brown eyes that were untouched by her half-hearted smile. The black material of her tank top contrasted her pale skin nicely, while hugging her slight, yet very curvy frame. Heero could not see the rest of her, because she sat behind the counter. He caught himself idly wondering what the rest of her looked like.

"How may I help you?" The dark hair girl asked. She had a smooth, sonorous voice. It had a low alto's husk, but was still very feminine. Heero nodded, and pulled out a packet of papers. It was a painfully detailed list of mobile suit parts, sizes, and simplified blue prints of his Gundam. Under normal circumstances, he would not entrust Zero to a stranger—or civilian. However, his suit was in dire need of repair. He also trusted Quatre's judgement. The girl arched an eyebrow at the documents in his hands, but said nothing.

"I need parts," Heero stated simply. She looked confused, and opened her mouth to speak. Heero spoke before she could inquire.

"_Special_ parts." There was an emphasis on the word that was difficult to differentiate from his standard, even monotone. The girl regarded him with a cool exterior, but there was a hint of alarm in her large brown eyes.

"My friend Quatre Winner sent me," Heero offered, remembering the blonde pilot's instruction. There was a flicker of recognition in her eyes, her face lit up and she smiled. It still did not reach her eyes. There was a distinct, almost constant look of confusion in them. _Perhaps she got lost in the war too_, Heero mused to himself.

"Oh yes, Quatre! He and my brother were friends! How is he doing anyhow?" She queried, standing up. Heero forced himself to keep eye contact.

"He's fine," He replied. The girl leaned forward, extending her hand over the counter.

"My name is Nikita Triqué, and any friend of Elliot is friend of mine," She said. She had a very firm handshake. Heero's expression lessened in intensity. It was the equivalent to a smile, though barely noticeable.

"Heero Yuy. It's a pleasure." As she shook his hand, Heero noted a sudden widening of her eyes. She gasped, and bit her lip in fright. He was confused, but realized she was looking behind him. Heero let go of her hand and turned around. Through the window of the lobby, he spotted two men walking in tandem. He could spot their uniforms from miles away: The dark jackets, the intricately woven patterns of gold thread, the armbands. He had worn that uniform once. Those were OZ soldiers. They were only several seconds from entering the building. He looked back at Nikita. She was borderline frantic. _Shit, _Heero mentally cursed, _I don't think they're here for me._

"Hide!" He hissed through gritted teeth. Heero vaulted over the counter, and hid the classified list of parts and blue prints. He had his right hand on his concealed Glock. He switched the safety off. He glanced behind him to verify that Nikita had hidden. She had done better than hiding, she had disappeared. He could not spot her anywhere. _Damn, _he thought, _she's good. _He tried not to make a habit of playing hero for strange girls, but he refused to allow OZ to interfere with Zero's repairs.

The soldiers walked in, striding in step to the counter. Both men were a few inches taller than Heero, but he was not in the least intimidated. One of them narrowed his eyes, glaring through mussed black hair.

"We are under direct orders to retrieve Nikita Triqué," The dark haired soldier grunted. Heero's expression remained vacant.

"Who?" Heero asked. Feigning ignorance seemed to be an effective ploy. The dark haired solider, leaned over the counter and furrowed his brow.

"You know who I'm talking about, _boy._" The soldier spat. Heero matched his glare with one his own. His cobalt blue eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He was unfazed by the soldiers scare tactics. He had the upper hand. They had not realized his hand rested on a cocked, unholstered, special issue Glock.

"No, I don't, _sir._" There was insolence evident in his stress on the term of respect. The soldier flushed with anger, and continued to glare. He raised his fist to strike Heero.

"I don't like your tone, boy!" He exclaimed, throwing his closed fist. Heero caught the punch, with his left hand. He clutched the man's fist until he heard the sickening, yet satisfying crunch of breaking bones. The soldier yelped in pain. Up until that point, his comrade had stood silently watching his counterpart. At the sight of physical altercation, he decided to get involved. He reached for his weapon. Heero was quicker. He fired instinctively. The soldier caught the bullet between his eyes. The man's dark haired counterpart tried reaching for his own weapon. Heero had crushed his dominant hand, and put the fumbling soldier out of his misery with a single shot.

Nikita stifled a whimper from her hiding place. The sound of gunshots frightened her. She closed her eyes and tearfully prayed that Heero Yuy was alive. She prayed that he did not suffer the same fate as her older brother. She covered her mouth with her hand, muffling her sob. Her shoulders quaked. Tears fell as she mourned the death of a perfect stranger. _That poor boy, that poor, poor boy…_

Heero's acute hearing picked up the sounds of very quiet sobbing. _The girl_, he remembered, _the shots must have frightened her. _The sound came from above him. He noted a dusty air vent. He reached up and pulled the vent opened. The sobbing suddenly ceased, and he heard a light gasp. Suddenly there was no sound. _She thinks it's them. _

"Don't be afraid. It's Heero." He stated. There was a moment of silence, then a breath of relief. She sniffled. There was no room to turn around in the small space. She began to back up towards the opening. However, she was suddenly nervous about making the jump. She could not see the height or obstacles in her way. The last thing she needed was broken leg from an unfortunate landing. Embarrassed, she called down to Heero.

"Could you help me down?"

Heero smirked. From that angle, he could finally catch a glimpse of the rest of her body. He saw a shapely calf emerge from the opening in the ceiling, then another. He placed his hands on either side of her legs, and gently pulled. A moment later, she was awkwardly in his arms—still very high in the air. She grabbed his shoulders in order to keep from falling. Nikita then slid down the front of Heero until her feet finally touched the floor. His arms lingered around her waist for a moment as she looked up into his eyes. She hugged him. He stiffened at first, but gently stroked her back after a moment.

"Thank you," She exclaimed tearfully, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She was murmuring into his shirt. He didn't mind, she was warm and smelled like roses. A moment later, she pulled away from him. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry you had to get involved, you killed them…didn't you?" She asked tentatively. He noted that she didn't turn to look at the bodies. She didn't even break eye contact. Her eyes were so tearful and lost. _She reminds me of the girl and her puppy_, Heero thought remorsefully. He couldn't put his finger on why.

"Yes," He stated. Heero regarded her carefully; she looked like she could burst into sobs at any given moment. But much to his surprise, she simply dried the years and turned to face the slain men. She sniffled.

"There is an incinerator; it's hot enough to melt down Gundanium. I think it should suffice."

"Where?" Heero inquired. He was intrigued by her sudden sense cool determination. He could tell she was upset, but she was putting aside to deal with the grisly task at hand. She had obviously dealt with things of equal gravity before. She stooped down and grabbed a body by the legs.

"Grab them, and I'll lead you there," She replied grunting with effort. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and took the load off of her hands. He started to remove his shirt, to avoid getting blood on it and she arched an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Don't want blood on my shirt." Nikita smirked, and retrieved a small flatbed from a near by closet. He hoisted the bodies onto the cart.

"It'll be easier than carrying them," She explained. Heero hoisted the bodis onto

She led him to an elevator, and punched in a 25 digit passcode. This in turn opened a second keypad. She speedily typed in another 25 digit passcode. The code was accepted and a metal plate slid up, revealing a retinal scan. Nikita held still as the device scanned her left eye. Finally, the elevator door opened. Both of them were silent on the ride down. Heero could hardly keep track of the floors descended. He knew they were going several stories below ground. The door opened revealing another door. It was round, with reinforced steel. There was another keypad on the frame. She repeated the procedure for getting into the elevator and the door opened, revealing an immense room.

"Hello, Nikita," a female voice greeted.

The two of them walked into the room. There were mobile suit parts hanging on the walls, categorized by type. _Impressive,_ Heero thought. She led him to the incinerator, where he effortlessly disposed of the bodies. Once that task was done, she explained the arrangement of the part. After directing to him to where he'd find the best parts for his type of mobile suit, she turned towards the elevator.

"Where are you going?"

"I've gotta clean up that mess you made back there," She said. Her lips were twisted into a dark, yet exceedingly attractive smirk.

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What do you think? Please, review.

-Sylver


	2. I've been lost since the day I was born

**Like Melting Ice**

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There was something about that girl that kept her on Heero's mind. He spent the drive home, the entire evening, and most of the night thinking of her. He could not put his finger on what it was. She was very attractive, but she was not the first good-looking girl he'd encountered. Why was this one different? As much as he did not want to admit, it was not her long legs, or her perfectly proportional curves that was keeping him awake.

For the first time in a long time, Heero dreamed:

_The sun beamed brightly, but its rays were welcomed. A younger Heero admired the intensity of the blue sky, before he took off. He ran—and it felt amazing. The blood coursed through his vein at lightening speeds, and his heart pounded vigorously. The wind whipped his unkempt, brown hair about his face. Heero could almost feel the endorphins releasing into his bloodstream. Even in the midst of a mission, he could not ignore the elation. He somersaulted sloppily, and landed flat on his back. A small smile played upon his lips and he burst into a fit of light-hearted and cheerful laughter. A girl following her golden puppy neared him. She was a little younger than him, and wore a bright, kind smile. _

"_Are you lost?" She asked him. Heero stopped laughing, but still smiled slightly. Her question, seemingly random, caught him off guard. He mulled over what she inquired. Growing slightly impatient, the girl spoke more insistently a second time._

"_Are you lost?"_

"_I've been lost since the day I was born," He replied. There was no dejection in his voice; his tone was matter-of-fact. The girl's smile faded, becoming a ghost of the grin that had once lit up her entire face. _

"_Isn't it sad? I'm lost too," She whispered. Their connection lasted a moment before the antsy puppy took off in another direction. The girl was all but dragged after the pup. Heero remained on the grass, lost in his thoughts. A few moments later, he raised the detonation remote---and unceremoniously pressed the button. The intended target went up in flames immediately. _

"_Mission accomplished," Heero stated. He began to walk away from the scene. But a sound caused him to turn towards it. It was the sound of something going wrong. The explosion propelled a mobile suit backwards, and it began falling towards an apartment complex. The lost little girl and her puppy lived in that complex. Instinctively, he ran towards the blast. He wanted to save her; he wanted to saver her dog. It sounded good in his heart, but in actuality—there was nothing he could do. He was human—he could not catch the stray mobile suit. The building collapsed, kicking up large clouds of dust and debris. Heero tried to search for the girl, but he never found her, only the remains of her little golden puppy. Dejected, he scooped up the poor animal and ventured to find a proper burial place. _

Heero woke up, sitting up slowly in his bed. He glanced at the clock beside his bed. The red digits informed him it was 3:00AM. He sighed, and raked his hands through his hair. It fell back in his face undisturbed.

_The dream_, he mused inwardly, _was different. The girl **wasn't** lost before. What does it mean?_

The morning came entirely too quickly for Nikita. She inwardly berated herself for telling Heero Yuy that she would attend to Gundam at 8:00AM. She sighed, and mentally prepared for the task before her. Her thoughts returned to the day before. The pilot had saved her life; he had killed for her. If it were not for him, he would have suffered the same fate as her brother. Despondently, she fought the tears and the memories. She grabbed her hat, shades and keys and hurried out of her apartment. Heero did not live very far from her apartment. He had given her very detailed instructions, and she arrived there in less than half an hour.

_Put on a smile girl, it's the one lie you can get away with. _She thought sardonically as she rang the doorbell. Expecting Heero to answer the door, she was visibly surprised when a minute or so later there was an unfamiliar figure standing before her. He was several inches taller than her, and had incredibly beautiful hair. It was chestnut brown and fell to his waist in a thick, neatly styled braid. He had large eyes, and she could not tell if they were blue or purple. Unlike Heero's eyes, they were very kind and warm. He flashed her a charming smile.

"Hey, babe, how can I help you?" He asked. Nikita smiled in return.

"Hello, I'm Nikita. I believe I'm supposed to be doing repairs for Heero Yuy," She replied smoothly extending her hand. Duo took the hand, and brought it to his lips. He kissed it gently.

"I am Duo Maxwell, Heero's more amiable and fun to be around friend," He said with a sly grin. Nikita giggled and blushed.

"_Duo_." There was a frightening cold fury underneath the words. Duo did not need to turn around to feel the intensity of Heero's glare.

"Well it was nice knowin' ya, babe, Now that Heero's officially going to kill me, I'd better go!" Duo said quickly. He dropped her hand and dashed away, his long braid bouncing after him. Nikita still wore a slight smile from the encounter. Heero glanced down at what she'd decided to wear, and he immediately cursed himself. Her red tank top clung mercilessly to her generous bosom, and exposed a two-inch band of taut, creamy midriff. A pair of black shorts managed to hang low on her hips, and still be painfully short---revealing her toned, shapely legs. Short, black work boots came just above her ankles.

"Come inside," Heero managed to say, ushering into the house. He fought the urge to continue to inspect her physique when she walked passed him. He tried to ignore her pleasant scent. Completely oblivious to his silent admiration, Nikita decided to get down to business.

"Take me to the hanger. The sooner I start, the sooner you can have me out of your hair."

"Hn," Heero hummed, acknowledging her request. He led her to through the various levels of security that took them to the hanger. Nikita inwardly grimaced when she saw the state of disrepair the Gundam was in. _Sweet tap-dancing Jesus, _she cursed, _did he try and stop a meteor? _Sighing, Nikita retrieved her tools and truck full of parts. She began the arduous task, completely unaware she was being watched.

Heero stood in a corner of the hanger, hiding himself amongst the shadows of the Gundams. He watched her work for hours, admiring her body as perspiration cascaded down her smooth skin. He could admit his sexual attraction—that was completely physical. But he felt something--- a sense déjà vu, or something like it. He felt like he knew her—or at least—wouldn't mind knowing her. As she worked sometimes she would sing, and her voice—was _angelic_. Her range was incredible, even at the low volume she sang at. She sang a low, mournful tune. It was as gentle as a lullaby, but it had the opposite effect on Heero. He was very awake, and very aware that her voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

_The girl in the dream, _He thought, _looked like her last night. _

A few more hours passed, and Heero felt his stomach rumble. As much as he could feed on her sex appeal, he needed real food. The skylights indicated that darkness was approaching, and that the other guys had probably cooked or ordered pizza already. He slipped into to kitchen to check. As he thought, there were four boxes of pizza stacked neatly on the kitchen counter. He went back into the hanger to get Nikita.

Nikita was balancing precariously on the toe of her boot as she reached for the last wire on the arm of the Gundam. She cursed herself for not bringing the cables and harness inside—she hadn't expected the damage to be so extensive. She was so close to the wire. _Just a few more inches…_ She thoughtHer feet were dangerously close to the corner of the scaffolding. She was about 20 feet up in the air---the fall would not have a happy ending.

"Nikita!" The deep, baritone voice shattered her concentration. She teetered, yelping as she began to lose her footing. There was no surface beneath her feet. Heero looked up, eyes wide. He ran to the scaffolding, and effortlessly snatched her out of the air. She looked up at him, mortified—but exceedingly grateful. Her face flushed a deep red. He couldn't suppress the small smile tugging at his lips.

"I'm sorry I scared you, but you should be more careful," He said. Her face became an even deeper red. Heero stifled a chuckle.

"It's okay. Thanks, I will," She whispered, still looking very embarrassed.

"Heero?" She questioned gently.

"Hn?"

"Could you put me down now?"

A barely noticeable tinge of pink colored his cheeks. He set her down, and led her to the kitchen for dinner

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Oh Heero is too cute for words. I love this version so much better---less Mary Sue.

Review! Sylver.


	3. That's sad, but I'm lost too

Hm…Is anybody reading? It seems so futile, writing with no audience. But It's fun and it's something to do. Hopefully if someone is reading this, you'll leave a review. I cant believe the first time that I wrote this that the first chapter was 12 pages long. Goodness gracious me. What was I thinking? Heh, Ive since divided that chapter up….this is the third installment.

**Like Melting Ice**

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_"Hey, Kita!" Elliot greeted. _

_"What's up, Ell?" Nikita greeted in return. Her older brother's brown eyes were alight with the excitement of achievement. Nikita could tell from the unkempt state of his hair and the stubble on his chin that he had been working at it for days. Elliot was a gifted engineer. It was his obsession. Sometimes things like brushing his hair---and shaving got overlooked in the heat of passion._

_"I just designed a new MS you've got to see it, C'mon!" he said, practically dragging her to the computer. Elliot put the disk into the computer and typed in the password. A figure popped onto the screen. _

_"Oh God," Nikita complained. He always had to show her the new designs. No matter what she was doing, or what time it was. It was not uncommon to be roused from sleep to see a new design. _

_"Just watch!" Elliot urged. She kept watching. A blue and green mobile suit appeared. It had a streamline physique for optimum stealth, and the weapons were labeled. Nikita nodded her approval._

_"It's good," she complemented. _

_"No, no, no! Just wait!" he exclaimed excitedly. Music began to play._

_"Who let the dogs out?!" the speakers blasted, and the mobile suit on the screen began to dance. They both started to laugh. _

_"See isn't it great," Elliot said between laughs. _

_"Awesome," Nikita said also laughing. _

A pang of grief brought Nikita back to reality. She missed her brother terribly. She missed her whole family. With Elliot gone, the only person alive worth anything was Julia. But Nikita had not seen her in years; the agency felt that that was the best way. She sighed and continued working on Zero. It was the only way to keep her mind off of Elliot. However, she could not keep her mind from wandering for very long…

_"Hey, Kita," Elliot said. _

_"Tsuberov is back! He loved the Sergio Project! He wants to offer me a contract of sorts!" Elliot was excited. The two of them normally tried to keep their organization under wraps. But with Elliot's talent, it was impossible to keep word from spreading. With the War going on, the mobile suit business was profitable---but it was not what Elliot wanted to do. He had been working on the designs for a highly precise surgeon-bot, which could be controlled through a system very similar to "virtual reality." Elliot called it the Sergio project. _

"_We would have enough money to go get Li!" He exclaimed excitedly. Nikita smiled; she was genuinely happy for him. If he got the Sergio Project patented, he would no longer have to develop dangerous killing machines. They could save Julia._

_An older man introduced himself as Colonel Tsuberov, and two soldiers trailed behind him silently. He gruffly asked for her older brother. She led them into the meeting room were Elliot sat waiting. Nikita stood outside the door where she could hear everything. _

_"Mr. Triqué, do we have a deal?" Tsuberov asked._

_"Absolutely not! I was under the impression that you wanted to utilize the surgeon-bot due to a lack of medical professionals!" Elliot replied. Even through the door he sounded heated. Nikita bit her lip._

_"The rewards will be great--" The older man promised, but Elliot interrupted him._

_"But the losses will be greater! You are talking about a remote control army! I refuse to be responsible for such a catastrophe!" He was not yelling, but his tone was forceful. He was staunchly set against the offer. The argument continued, and escalated. Nikita remained outside the door of the room, praying silently that everything would work out fine. Her mind's eye only saw three armed soldiers---and one unarmed civilian standing between them and victory. A sudden case of the "Cocktail Party Phenomena" brought her attention back to the words of the debate._

_"Nikita has nothing to do with this! You leave her out of it!" Elliot was yelling. Tsuberov was crossing lines; his patience was thinning. Elliot's blood was beginning to boil. She could hear it in his voice. _

"_Bring her in here!" Nikita's eyes widened in horror. She scrambled away from the door, but one of the soldiers grabbed her arm roughly. She winced, but said nothing. Elliot's entire face was deep red. He clenched his fist and took a step towards his sister, but the other soldier leveled a gun at his head. She gasped and lunged forward, but her soldier tightened his grip and pressed his handgun to her temple. The coldness of the metal made her gasp. Tsuberov neared Nikita. She shied away from his touch, but the soldier held her fast. He caressed her hair and face. Nikita felt physically sick. _

"_You know, you have such a beautiful sister. Perhaps, I should let the boys have a little fun with her," Nikita trembled at his tone at the word 'fun.' She knew exactly what he insinuated. With a small nod from Tsuberov, the soldier's hands began to wander over her body. Elliot became even more infuriated; he fought against the soldier. Her t-shirt was suddenly ripped off. Nikita shrieked._

"_Get your hands off of her!" Elliot spat._

"_Keep fighting. Just see what they'll do to her." Elliot dejectedly stopped struggling. He hung his head low, defeated. Tears squeezed out of Nikita's eyes as hands continued to roam. A choked sob erupted from her throat. She felt so powerless. _

"_Whatever you do, just spare her. She knows nothing, please," He begged._

"_Give me the disk." Elliot nodded._

"_In my left pocket," He said, the soldier retrieved the disk and tossed it to Tsuberov. _

"_The password is Julia," He informed the men. _

"_It was a pleasure doing business with you," the older man said through a smile. He leveled his own weapon at Elliot. Nikita's heart did not sink; it crashed through the floor. The world slowed down; she could almost see the bullets as they whizzed out of the fiend's gun. They sought refuge in her brother's body. Blood spilled out of his wounds as he hit the ground. _

"_What about her, sir?" A soldier inquired. Tsuberov shook his head._

"_I'm a man of my word; leave her be. She's worthless anyway." The soldier grunted a "yes, sir" and pushed her to the ground. All of them strode out of the room, leaving Nikita and Elliot to pick up the pieces of their lives. Half naked and trembling, she crawled towards the crumpled figure of her older brother. The tears came in torrents. She pulled his head into her lap, oblivious to all the blood._

"_Elliot, you can't die---you can't. I need you…" She sobbed. Elliot coughed up blood._

"_Guard the disk," He managed to choke out._

"_But I thought," she began confused_

"_It's a copy. The real disk is in my office. Use fingerscan. The password is the first 216 digits of pi, excluding the 3 before the decimal." The pool of blood around him was growing. The scene was completely surreal. _

"_No, hold on…Let me get help," She cried frantically. Elliot shook his head._

_"Tell Li that I'm sorry, and that I love her. I love you too, Kita." _

"_I love you," She whispered. He inhaled once more, and never breathed again. Her lamenting wail pierced the air, and shook the sky._

The flashback left a sour taste in her mouth. She hated war, she hated OZ. Her only hope of vengeance lay with the Gundam pilots. She knew that she would not be able to sleep—no matter how comfortable Duo swore the guest room was. She worked through the night, bottling up her tears and memories. Nikita did not even realize it was dawn until Duo entered the hanger.

"Did you work all night?" Duo inquired. Nikita smiled, and wearily nodded. The all-nighter proved to be productive: The leg was fully functional once more.

"You've gotta be exhausted---and hungry," He commented. Once he had mentioned it, her stomach decided to growl very loudly. Duo grinned.

"Sounds like you are, come and have breakfast. I made pancakes and sausage! C'mon, I won't take no as an answer!" Giving him a half-hearted smile, she agreed and climbed down. She freshened up, and braided he hair. She changed into a gray tank top and denim cutoffs. Nikita splashed cool water on her face, grateful that there were no bags under her eyes.

She walked into the kitchen where Heero, Quatre and Duo were sitting. There were two boys that were completely unfamiliar to her also sitting at the table. The one farthest from her wore all white. His features were Chinese. He had smooth tan skin and silken black hair. It was pulled into a very severe ponytail. His eyes were slanted and dark. They regarded her with open confusion. Even sitting down, she could tell the other boy was the tallest of all of them. He had light brown hair. His long bangs fell over his left eye, completely obscuring it from her view. The eye she could see was forest green. His face was impassive, and though he looked at her, he displayed no reaction.

"Hello," She greeted warmly, "My name is Nikita."

"Hello, Nikita!" Quatre said cheerfully, he gave her a very welcoming smile, "I didn't get to see you yesterday; how are you doing?"

She returned the smile as she sat down in the vacant seat beside Heero, "I'm fine, yourself?"

"I'm great. I know you're here to work; but, please, don't work yourself to death, now! Duo said you were in the hanger all night!" He exclaimed. Quatre still wore a smile, but was offering serious advice. She smiled sheepishly, "I guess I get a little involved in work."

"Oh my, where are my manners? This is Trowa and Wufei!" He gestured toward the expressionless green-eyed teen, and the cold Chinese pilot. Each nodded at the mention of their names. Nikita offered a warm smile, but said nothing. She looked down at her plate, "Good morning, Heero."

"Hn," He acknowledged. She shrugged and began pick at her food. A few moments later, Heero decided to speak.

"How's the suit?"

"It should be a few more days, and then if you want I'll add special features," she answered. "What kind of features?" he questioned.

"I have them on disk; I'll show them to you after breakfast." she replied. He nodded, and then silence once again mushroomed at the table.

"So tell us a little about yourself, Nikita." Duo said trying to make conversation. The silence was beginning to make him uncomfortable—and bored.

"There's not much really. I own Elliot's Warehouse. I'm an engineer and mechanic," She replied, "What about you, Duo? What do you do for fun? What kind of music do you like?"

"Me? We'll let's see. I like playing video games, reading comic books, and practical jokes. I love vintage music. I really like the heavy stuff."

"Oh, you mean like System of a Down, Metallica, Aerosmith," She tapped her chin with her index finger as she rattled off names. Duo's eyes lit up.

"Yes! Exactly! That stuff is _classic! _Those guys really knew how to rock!" he exclaimed. Duo spent the rest of breakfast playing twenty questions with Nikita. He wanted to see how much they had in common. Apparently, they shared a decent amount of common ground. After breakfast, everyone got up and went their separate ways, except for Heero and Nikita.

"Where's your computer?" she questioned. He gestured for her to follow him, and led her to his room. He motioned towards the laptop sitting on his desk. She inserted the disk. Nikita's fingers flew over the keys as she entered the long passcode. The speaker's blared a generic 1980's tune. The mobile suit danced to the music for several bars.

"That's a new feature?" Heero asked. He was having trouble imagining the program being of any use in battle. Nikita giggled, "No, it's a security patch," Heero just nodded, as she pulled up a very long list of mobile suit upgrade possibilities. The blue light of the computer reflected off of her pale face. She highlighted the three that she had the parts for. "Okay, these are the new features," she said, gesturing at the screen. Heero knelt down beside her, to see the screen better. There was a list of weapons.

"These weapons are newly developed, however—they have been thoroughly tested. I would never offer anything that is still in its experimental phase," She began. Heero nodded, awaiting her to further describe the upgrades. Nikita clicked on the first highlighted feature. A detailed schematic and list of attributes immediately scrolled down the screen. There were also images of high level calculus equations and graphs. Heero recognized the Green notation "lambda." _Her knowledge of science and engineering is impressive. Very useful,_ He mused.

"First, and easiest to install, is the cloaking device. Electrodes installed in various parts of the suit scramble radar waves and other forms of digital tracking," Nikita explained. She did not look away from screen, and continued scrolling through pictures and schematics. Heero grunted acknowledgement and she proceeded to the next feature on the list.

"The next is basically a radar system. However, it also detects heat and sound. Using the data received, the device projects a three dimensional map of your surroundings. The sensitivity is adjustable, and can be ideal in stealth or confrontation," She stated easily. There were more images, schematics and equations on the screen. Nikita typed quickly, brining up the next upgrade.

"Now, here is the last one. The _Devestance._ This one is particularly deadly, and I pray you'll use it wisely," She began. Heero was suddenly very interested. His eyes flickered with intrigue.

"What does it do?" He inquired.

"It emits three levels of destruction. The first is electromagnetic. Your suit will radiate a very strong electromagnetic pulse, it could— "

"Destroy an entire base's digital mainframe," He supplied for her. Nikita nodded and continued.

"The second level emits something comparable a thunderous sound wave. It travels along the ground, causing heavy damage to man and mobile suit alike. It is only effective up to a one thousand foot radius. The last is an extremely powerful explosion that incorporates both the sound waves and EMP. It is highly destructive up to a radius of 225 kilometers. However this feature is a last resort, and can be detrimental to the suit. It consumes a large amount of fuel, and incites overheating."

"Hn," Heero replied.

"Well? Which one would you like?" Nikita questioned. Out of the corner of her brown eye, she could have sworn she saw the ghost of a smirk. Heero sat back on his heels, with his arms folded across his muscular chest. She patiently waited his methodical deliberation.

"I'll take them all," He finally replied. Nikita's eyes widened noticeably. _All of them?_ Her mind reeled, _that's so much work! It would take weeks! _She immediately regained her composure. Besides, she could not refuse. He saved her life--killed for her. She was in his debt.

"That's fine. It will take a couple of weeks, perhaps even a month, to have everything running at optimum performance," Her response was almost mechanical. She noticed the ghost of a smirk had become more defined. _Several weeks? Perhaps by then I will understand why I can't stop thinking about her._

"Commuting with sensitive parts could be detrimental. Stay here until the job is complete," She nodded. His logic was sound. It would be costly and cumbersome to commute daily for a month. However, she would have to retrieve some personal affects from her apartment. She pondered this as she stood up, handing Heero his laptop.

"I need go pick up some of my things from my apartment, if I'm going to stay here. I won't take too long," She said. Nikita adjusted a misplaced tank top strap, and Heero idly thought of how easily he could remove the garment. It was a fleeting thought. He scolded himself silently.

"It would not be wise to go alone," Heero stated as he remembered the soldiers at warehouse. It would not be beneficial to lose her knowledge of the upgrades. He would be able to do the repairs—but the new features would be especially advantageous in the missions to come. Her attractive features clouded, and Heero's string of logical thoughts came to a screeching halt. He immediately disliked seeing her like that. He could not justify it, and didn't even attempt to. _You can't justify emotions, you just follow them…but it's more difficult than I thought. I hate not knowing where they are leading me…_

"I guess you're right," She said, "But I am already in your debt. You have saved my life once already, Heero."

"It was nothing," He responded calmly, but there was a very subtle hint of softness in his cobalt blue eyes. It was short-lived, like a candle's flame in the wind. Fleeting, it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Nikita smiled slightly. If she hadn't been paying attention she would have missed it.

----

I know it's a tad slow, but things will pick up. I promise. I will write a short gift fic for the first person to review!

Sylver Secret


	4. I'll follow my emotions to find my way

This chapter goes out **GothicDream** and **moogle in paradaisu **I wrote this all in one sitting…enjoy!

**Like Melting Ice**

**---**

"How are the repairs?" Heero inquired. Nikita looked at her watch, then down at him. She smiled slightly. Nikita wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, and grabbed onto the lowering cable.

"Don't fall," Heero warned. There was a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Nikita laughed at the cable lowered her to the ground.

"You know, I don't think you'd really mind," She replied with a coy smile of her own. Heero's smirk broadened slightly.

"Hn," He acknowledged. Nikita simply laughed. In the weeks she had spent at the safe house, she had become accustomed to his minimalist communication approach. The subtle emotions in his eyes and even subtler inflections in his voice were indicative of softer side of his personality. It seemed that that side was often buried beneath the perfect soldier.

"Repairs are at 89," Nikita stated. Heero nodded, and looked up at the Gundam. The status seemed correct, and the tasks that remained were simple enough for him to complete himself. However, he had not finished trying to justify his lapses in rationality.

"And, I've made other maintenance upgrades," she said. Her soft voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"What upgrades?" He questioned.

"Well, there is evidence of previously extensive damage that was repaired improperly," She began. He furrowed his brow. _Improperly?_

"For the most part they're alright, but the wiring was patchy which can interfere with reaction time. Some of the controls weren't responding properly—but don't worry, I fixed all that. It should be able to keep up with you," She explained. Heero nodded, digesting the information. It made sense, he could fix exterior damage—wiring was not his specialty.

"How long until all the upgrades and repairs are complete?"

"A few days—do you need it sooner?" She returned, rummaging the pockets of her short shorts. He shook his head no. Nikita pulled out a slightly tattered schematic, she held it out. Heero accepted the paper. Their hands brushed, and a change of electron position occurred. The spark made a loud snapping noise. Nikita drew her hand back as if it burned. _Sparks, go figure,_ she thought with a tiny smile. Heero didn't say a word. He nodded, and left her alone to work. She opened her mouth to protest, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Her eyes lingered on his retreating form. A hand on her shoulder brought her out of her reverie. Nikita turned around. It was Duo.

"Hey, babe," He greeted with a warm smile. Nikita returned the smile and nodded a greeting.

"Heero can be quite impossible," He explained. She arched a single eyebrow.

"I don't follow."

"You can't tell me that you haven't noticed it…"

"Noticed what?" She questioned innocently. Duo folded his arms and rolled his eyes. _Could she be anymore oblivious? Heero all but openly stares at her! Not that I can really blame him…_

"Well, I think you've got a bit of a soft spot for your client," He said with a tell-tale wink. Pink seeped into Nikita's face as she blushed furiously. She bit her lip and shook her head vigorously. Duo just laughed at her reaction. The passed few weeks had brought the two of them closer as well. He was the first of all the pilots to go out of his way to befriend her.

"Stop laughing at me!" She cried. Duo held his sides and laughed for a few more seconds—for good measure.

"Don't take it personally, babe! It's just the look on your face! Priceless!"

Nikita covered her face with both hands. Duo grabbed both her wrists and pried them away from her face. He tried to smile encouragingly with out breaking into laughter. She silently prayed that the ground would swallow her up, but gave Duo a weak smile.

"How could you tell?" She finally asked.

"Well…It's just how you act around each other. Sometimes you check him out when you think no one's lookin' ," Duo explained. Her hands slipped out of his grasp and she covered her face again. Duo chuckled lightly.

"No need to hide—he does the same thing," He offered. Nikita's face emerged from her behind her hands. She wore a shocked expression.

"Really?" She asked incredulously. He nodded, smiling at her disbelief.

"Don't act surprised---you're hot stuff!" He slipped an arm around her shoulders. Nikita blushed again. Duo began leading her away from Wing Zero. She opened her mouth to protest.

"Don't sweat it, you can take a break! We can play old video games, and talk about your _crush_!" Duo's emphasis on the word increased the intensity of the red in her cheeks. He led her out of the hanger, talking about the vintage Nintendo products that he had found on an online auction. He'd spent a small fortune on an N64, GameCube, and a Nintendo Wii. Nikita was interested---she liked vintage electronics, they were simple, yet effective. Duo set up the GameCube, and inserted his Mortal Kombat minidisk. He tossed Nikita a controller and settled on the couch beside her.

"So tell me about Heero," Duo prompted. Nikita had been waiting for the question, but still blushed ever so slightly. She did not take her brown eyes off of the screen as she chose her character: Kitana. Duo had chosen Scorpion. The fight began.

"What is there to say?" She asked. Scorpion delivered an uppercut that sent Kitana to the level above. Duo shrugged nonchalantly, as he tapped the button combinations. Kitana hurled her bladed fans. Scorpion dodged.

"How do you feel?" He questioned, steeling a glance as she quickly tapped button combinations. Three hit combo.

"I like him," She stated simply. Duo smiled, he always enjoyed her frank attitude with him. It made her easier to trust—to befriend.

"Well, that much I gathered…." He replied. Scorpion removed his mask and spit fire. Kitana dodged.

"I don't know, Duo, I like him. But It will never work," She said quietly. Duo could see the hint of moisture pooling in her brown eyes. She blinked it away.

"What makes you say that?" He questioned. Five hit combo-- Finish her.

"He's a legendary Gundam pilot," She began. Duo interrupted.

"So what?" He questioned. Fatality. Kitan's torso flew across the screen.

"It's his whole life, Duo. The war—I mean. With everything else…he's…" She trailed off. Duo gave her a knowing smile.

"Cold?" He offered.

"Yeah. Icy even," She replied.

"Well…if anyone could melt him, I think it'd be you," He offered with a broad smile. Nikita returned the sentiment.

"Thanks, Duo, but…I don't know," She trailed off once more. The two of them continued to play the video game, and Duo relentlessly pursued the topic. Neither of them noticed when Heero crept up behind them. He leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He was just beyond their visual field—silent as death. The specifics of their conversation seemed irrelevant, until he heard his name. He perked to attention.

"Ever since Heero saved my life, I've just felt drawn to him," Nikita said quietly. Duo put paused the game and put down his controller. He turned to face Nikita.

"Saved your life? How? When?" He questioned.

"The day we met—Tsuberov's men came to the shop. I had something they wanted---they killed my brother for it not so long ago. I was next. He _killed_ for me, Duo…" Nikita twisted one of her French braids and sighed. Tears pooled in her pretty eyes.

"He's so _amazing,_ he'd never fall for the likes of me," She sniffed quietly. Heero could tell from the way her voice quavered slightly that there were tears in her eyes. He wanted to sit where Duo sat. He wanted to brush the tears away, but he did not move. He simply listened.

"Aw, babe, I didn't mean to make ya cry!" Duo exclaimed. He put an arm around her shoulders. Heero involuntarily glared at Duo, and was surprised at his own jealousy. But his mind was reeling—_she liked him_. He was not even sure what she meant by it, but there was a fuzzy feeling inside his chest. It was unfamiliar, but warm. His mind replayed the circumstances under which they met. In retrospect, his reaction was unorthodox—but it felt right. He remembered the short-lived embrace, and the way her small form fit perfectly in his arms. Her warmth and scent had lingered in her nostrils, and he almost sighed aloud.

_Nikita, _he silently mused, _I think I like you too_

Heero's mind finally returned to the present, and he noted that Duo had left the room. Nikita sat alone on the couch; legs crossed fiddling with the game. He sat down beside her, and she looked over at him. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Heero! I didn't even hear you come in! Oy, you think I'd get used to that by now…" She rambled a bit sheepishly. A tiny smirk played upon Heero's lips.

"Wanna play?"

"Sure, if you don't mind losing to a girl," She teased.

"If by lose to, you mean defeat, then sure," He replied. Nikita laughed and rolled her eyes. Heero Yuy made a joke. Now, she really had seen everything. As she chose her character, she noted how close he was. She swore she could heal the heat emanating from his body. She blushed at the thought, and when Heero arched an eyebrow—she blushed even harder. He smiled slightly.

"You okay?" He questioned. Nikita cursed herself and covered her face with one hand. She nodded His smile became more defined, but he turned his attention to the game. His fingers rapidly tapped in combinations, mercilessly tearing into Nikita's character. Flawless Victory. Nikita balked.

Damn, you weren't kidding about destroying me," She stated. He simply smirked, and his eyes softened ever so faintly. _Those eyes_, she thought, _I can't get any more lost than I already am---but I think I could find myself in them_

"I heard what you said earlier," Heero stated. Part of him was unsure how to broach the topic, the other part simply wanted to torture her just to see her blush. The latter was completely satisfied as color began to seep back into her features.

" When? About what?" She questioned cautiously.

"Just now, when you were talking to Duo," He replied. The blush deepened.

"Oh," She whispered. Heero looked at the floor, unsure of how to proceed. Nikita set down the controller, and stood. The mushrooming silence was thick and awkward. She felt like she was going to suffocate---and suddenly felt the urge to run. Nikita started to head towards the hanger, but Heero's hand caught her wrist. He was standing behind her. She gasped quietly—his touch was unexpected, and almost seemed to burn her skin. He whirled her to face him, and pulled her closer. His other arm slipped around her small waist. He lowered his head, and placed his lips on hers. Nikita's eyes widened and she froze. All of her senses were reeling. It felt like Heero's grip was the one thing tethering her to earth. If he let go, she would probably float away. Nikita shook the silly thought from her mind as they parted. Unsure of what else to do or say, he left her standing there frozen with her fingers on her lips.

---

Then I did the simplest thing in the world. I leaned down... and kissed him. And the world cracked open. Agnes de Mille

Review please 


	5. Maybe I should just follow you

**Like Melting Ice**

**--**

Nikita rapped lightly on Duo's bedroom door. The door creaked open, and he stood before her smiling. Nikita hadn't realized how late it was until she noticed his appearance. A pair of black, cargo sweat pants hung low on his hips. He wore no shirt, but the majority of his chest was hidden. His long brown hair fell loosely to the small of his back.

"Duo! You were right!" She managed to exclaim through an excited whisper. She threw her arms around his neck, and laughed. Duo smiled and patted her back.

"Right about what?" He asked---though he knew what she had to be talking about.

"About Heero," She replied. Duo grinned, and beckoned her to come into his room. They both sat on his bed. He folded his arms across his bare chest.

"Ok—spill," He demanded.

"Well after you left, I was sitting on the couch," She began.

"Uh huh…go on…"

"And Heero sat down next to me—really close to me. So close I started to blush…" She trailed off. Duo laughed, but did not interrupt.

"He asked if I wanted to play Mortal Kombat, and I said 'Sure, if you don't mind losing to a girl!'" She recounted.

"What did he say?" Duo questioned.

"If by lose to, you mean destroy, then sure!" Nikita used air quotes. Duo laughed harder, and tears began to squeeze out of his violet eyes. He was having difficulty breathing, and even more difficulty picturing Heero making a joke. Nikita hit him on the leg, and forced him to listen. A few moments passed before he recovered, and she continued.

"He got a flawless victory, and had this little tiny smug smirk on his face. Then he told me he heard what I'd said when I was talking to you, I was so red…" She trailed off. Duo snickered.

"I bet."

"I was about to leave, when he grabbed my hand. And…."

"And...and he _kissed_ me," She whispered. Duo gasped audibly. Nikita covered her mouth and nodded vigorously.

"Did he say anything after that?" He questioned. She shook her head. Duo wasn't surprised, some things would never change. He smiled at Nikita, she was practically glowing. Suddenly, she deflated. There was a befuddled expression on her face.

"What's wrong? I thought you were happy," He queried.

"I am, I am, but…" She trailed off. Duo prompted her to continue.

"I don't know where to go from here, ya know? The repairs will be done in a few days, and then I have to leave," She stated sadly. Duo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"No you don't. You said it yourself—people are after your life, you almost _have_ to stay here," He said with a smile. She returned the smile, but it was a sad smile.

"You're too sweet, Duo, but I can't…I'm not sure how the rest of your housemates will take it," She said.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I don't think Trowa and Wufei like me," Nikita replied a bit sheepishly. Duo rolled his eyes, which did nothing for Nikita's nerves.

"Babe, Trowa's just really quiet. And Wufei…he can be difficult, but he's not really all that bad. Besides, the two of them have had different missions every few days—they haven't had a chance to get to know you like I have. Or Heero for that matter," He said with a wink. Nikita giggled.

"I guess you're right," She conceded.

"Of course I am, but as much as I'd love to sleep with you—I think Heero would kill me, G'night!"

Nikita laughed and left his room, heading towards her own.

--

Heero stared down at his laptop at the mission objectives before him. It was a fairly simple undercover mission: He and 05 were to infiltrate an organization's private event, and assassinate their leaders. The event was a formal party hosted by some new troublesome organization. He was to attend the party with an escort---preferably female to lower suspicions. He was instructed to hire a prostitute if he could not find a woman with no military background. Wufei was to pose as their chauffeur

"Nikita…" He whispered under his breath. He thought it was odd, and re-read the mission statement. He had never been instructed to involve a civilian. Regardless, he had to follow orders. Even though, he was unsure of what to say to her…especially after that kiss. What was he thinking? In all honesty---he wasn't. He hadn't been thinking at all, he just acted. He did not regret it---in fact, he had been mentally reliving the moment since it happened. He remembered the softness of her lips as he touched his own. A small smirk played on his lips---he had to kiss her again.

The next day, Heero approached Nikita as she put the finishing touches on his Gundam. He could tell that it was just about done. He called up to her, and she grabbed the cable. It lowered her to the ground. She smiled at him.

"Hey, Heero," She greeted softly. Her voice was soft and sensual as his named rolled of her tongue. The hair on the back of his neck prickled—and for the first time in a while, his mind considered her in a sexual context. It was too much; he forced his thoughts to the present situation. Heero nodded a greeting.

"Hey, I need a favor," He stated. Nikita arched an eyebrow at first, but then smiled, "Anything."

"I need your help for a mission," He began, and there was a sudden look of disbelief on her features. Disbelief was soon followed by confusion.

"What do you want me to do?" She finally asked.

"I'm going undercover to a formal party—and I need an escort," He replied. Their bodies were very close. He could not resist—he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

"An escort?" She questioned. Her face was flushed; she bit her lip for a moment. Heero leaned closer, and whispered into her ear. His warm breath tickled her neck. His lips brushed against her skin—teasingly. She closed her eyes.

"A date."

He pressed his lips to hers, and her arms went around his neck. Her fingers instinctively delved into tousled brown hair. It was not brief like before, but it was still soft and chaste. But the way her fingers teased his neck, it would not remain chaste for long. They parted, and she looked up at him with a tiny smile.

"How can I say no to that?" She asked with a soft chuckle. He smirked, and leaned forward to kiss her again. The chastity of the kiss prevailed, but the level of passion increased exponentially. Reluctantly, Nikita pulled away. Disappointment flickered in Heero's piercing blue eyes, but he released her. It was just in time, because moments later the entrance to the hanger swung open. Nikita quickly grabbed the cable, and returned to her repairs. Heero decided it was a good time to make preparations for the up coming mission. He nodded a greeting to Wufei as he passed him. Wufei looked up at Nikita, arching an eyebrow as she worked. He had only seen her a few times since their first meeting. Back to back missions had kept him busy the passed couple weeks. He still did not completely understand the circumstances of her stay—or why Yuy allowed her to work on his Gundam. Would he hire a civilian? And a woman at that?

"Nikita," He called to her. She turned around to face Wufei who stood behind her.

"Yes?"

"Did Yuy hire you?" He questioned. She shook her head no.

"I'm not getting paid for this, if that's what you are asking," She replied. Wufei arched a dark brow, and folded his arms. Not getting paid? Why would she forfeit all that time and money? Nikita could read the question on his face and smiled slightly

"I am in his debt," She called down to him, but then decided to lower herself to the ground to avoid anymore yelling.

"For?"

"I owe him my life. It would be dishonorable to charge him for these repairs. It's the very least I can do," She explained. Wufei nodded, understanding. It began to make sense to him.

"I can see the justice in that," He replied, "How long have you worked with mobile suits?"

"For most of my life actually, I started studying science and engineering very young," She explained. His eyes widened slightly, indicating his surprise. Most of the female scholars he had encountered were more interested in humanities. He had never met one interested in science, which is what he had always been interested in.

"Science? Any particular area?"

"Chemistry and Physics are my favorites, but really…I just like any subject with a finite answer, no gray area, ya know?"

"I agree. Especially in these times, finite answers keep me from going mad," He said gently. Nikita smiled.

"I can imagine. With the politics in such a muddled uproar, how do you know if what you're fighting for is just? Or worth fighting for at all?" She questioned solemnly. Wufei regarded her with a small smile; her questioning was similar to his line of thought about the war.

"Wars are illogical by nature," He explained, "those who fight must find their own sense of justice."

"You must be very strong—to have the patience to find the reason amongst all of the…" She trailed off, tapping her chin as she searched for the right word.

"Illogical nonsense?" He supplied. She smiled and nodded.

"Exactly!" her entire face lit up, "But that's why you fight—I'll just keep trying to figure out if Schrodinger's cat is dead!"

Wufei chuckled at her reference, and she laughed as well. Her eyes looked be hind him at Altron, and she suddenly arched an eyebrow. Wufei turned to follow her gaze.

"Have you had some difficulties maneuvering at full throttle?"

"Yeah, how could you tell? There's a bit of a lag," He admitted. Nikita pointed at the suit, "See, the left and right sides aren't completely level. That usually happens when the signals aren't traveling at equal speeds. Probably a loose wire." Wufei surveyed the Gundam carefully. Just as she said, the suit stood awkwardly as if one leg was slightly shorter than the other.

"It's usually the one pink wire in the main hub, just replace it—the resulting problems will fix themselves," She explained. He nodded his thanks, and they both worked on the suits in a comfortable silence.

---

This chapter is sub par---but necessary for establishing some relationships. Don't worry, there will be more action next time, I promise!

Sylver Secret


	6. You won't like where I'm going

All right…finally. I keep reworking this chapter, but I'm not sure like it. Or where it's going. It's so…..contrived, but here it is…

**Like Melting Ice**

Heero meticulously straightened the black bow tie of his classic tuxedo for a moment. It was the third or fourth time he had tried to straighten it, and the stiff collar was already irritating the back of his neck. He loathed dress clothes. They were so constricting and frivolous. Too keep from fidgeting with his tie, Heero folded his arms and leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. Wufei clutched his driver's cap in his hand, noting the holes in Heero's mission façade. He inwardly rolled his eyes at the mild display of weakness. Both of them were waiting for Nikita, the party was in less than an hour. Wufei glanced down at his wristwatch; he was going to give her five more minutes before he went up stairs and physically dragged her to the car. _What could she possibly be doing anyway? _He wondered impatiently as he glanced over at Heero.

"Yuy," Wufei called. Prussian blue eyes snapped opened and peered at him through slightly tousled bangs. Dark brows were knit into a question mark indicating that his attention had been retrieved.

"Call your woman," Wufei said with a slight smirk. Heero opened his mouth to respond, when a female's voice retorted from above.

"I am no one's woman," Nikita declared from the top of the stairs. The eyes of both pilots traveled upwards. She stood at the top of the stairs with her hands on her hips. Heero's breath caught in his throat. Even though the black satin dress technically covered her from neck to ankle---there was little left to the imagination. A haltered bodice showcased her creamy shoulders and back. Her hair tumbled down her back in curls, obscuring the view of them. The material of the dress clung dangerously to her curves, and bilateral slits revealed smooth shapely legs. Her high heeled sandals clicked on the wood of the stairs. Heero fought the very powerful urge to throw her over his should and carry her right back up the stairs and—he shook his head.

"Nice," Heero managed to say. Nikita blessed him with a smile. Wufei realized that he would have to bring everyone to the proper mindset.

"What is your name?" He quizzed Nikita.

"Nicollette Du Bois," She replied with practiced ease.

"From?"

"Riqwhir, France."

"Good and your escort?"

"Toshi Hashimoto, from Neo-Tokyo. We met in Paris," She said convincingly, "He was conducting business in one of my father's hotels." Wufei nodded. Her responses were quick and believable. He handed her a very tiny ear piece, it disappeared behind locks of hair once she put it in.

"When he gives you a signal that his task is done, say 'Schrödinger's cat is dead. This feeds straight into the unit in the car. It's always on. If you get separated from Yuy, and you're in danger—simply say--"

"Schrödinger's cat is not dead," She supplied with a warm smile, "You're such a dork!"

Wufei smiled slightly at that, and shrugged. Heero wearily eyed the both of them before speaking.

"Fitting in is imperative, and failure is not an option," He said gravely. Nikita nodded and he continued, "If I am not with you, keep all exits in sight. Do not—under any circumstance--- allow yourself to be alone with any one individual, understood?"

"Yes," She replied and was suddenly very nervous. She took a deep breath, and followed both Wufei and Heero out of the house. Nikita glanced back to see Duo beaming his most supportive—yet ridiculous grin. She had to laugh, which eased her nerves a little. Nikita blew Duo a kiss before disappearing out the front door.

The 45 minute car ride was quiet for the most part. She squeezed Heero's hand gently. Nikita looked up at him with wide, desperate eyes. The corner of his mouth turned upward---his attempt at comfort.

"Calm down," He stated evenly. Nikita nodded, but bit her lip. His expression softened, her face reminded him of a lost child when she bit her lip. However, the rest of her body betrayed her child-like visage. Wufei caught her worried eyes in the review mirror, and thought of ways to ease her nervousness—it could compromise everything. Although, telling her that could only make things worse. Then he rememberedthe small toy he'd found in the glove compartment. It was a Rubik's Cube. Solving those were almost like solving equations, he idly thought. Wufei reached into the glove compartment with one hand, and tossed it back to Nikita. She was so lost in thought she did not see it coming. Heero snatched it out of the air before it collided with Nikita's face.

"It's a Rubik's cube!" she exclaimed excitedly. The glare directed at the back of Wufei's head dissipated as soon as Nikita's face lit up. She all but snatched the toy out of Heero's hands. She began fiddling with it.

"I figured it'd help," Wufei replied—keeping his gaze on the road.

"Thanks, 'Fei," She whispered distractedly. Her finely arched eyebrows were knit in determination. The tip of her tongue peeked out of the corner of her mouth as she focused her nervous energy into solving the cube. Her anxiety faded, and Heero was relieved. It was putting him on edge unnecessarily.

"What's your fastest time?" Wufei asked as he drove.

"Are you implying that I have nothing better to do than see how fast I can solve a silly cube, Wufei?" She asked, not looking up from the cube. He chuckled.

"Absolutely."

Nikita laughed, "I never really paid much attention. Time me."

Wufei nodded, and began mentally counting. It was not long before Nikita's voice piped excitedly from behind him.

"Done!" She exclaimed. He arched an eyebrow.

"16 seconds," He stated, catching her grin in the rear view. Wufei smirked slightly. He eased on the breaks, and pulled into a line of cars. Nikita's eyes widened.

"Here already?" She questioned. Both Heero and Wufei nodded affirmative. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and set down the Rubik's Cube. In character as his driver role, Wufei exited the car to open the door for Nikita. She smiled wearily up at him, accepting his extended hand. He pulled her to a standing position.

"If anything goes wrong---remember that I'm listening," He whispered. Nikita nodded, and put a smile on. Showtime.

Her false smile transformed into a real one when Heero gently took her hand. The tiny smile of reassurance he blessed her with melted all nervousness. They entered the mansion. The architecture was modeled after the an almost outdated style. It was beautiful and ornate. There were pillars, brocades, velvet drapes and hardwood floors. Plush Persian rugs were challenging to walk on in heels. The place was out of a story book, but she deliberately kept her glances surreptitious. Gawkers were easy to pick out of a crowd. There was a grand ballroom, with a hardwood dance floor. A small orchestra played a classical arrangement of a 20th century hit. The tune was familiar, but she couldn't place it. She mentally filed the melody to ask Duo about it later. The music was slow and soothing.

"Care to dance?" She asked Heero. He smiled very slightly, and led her to the dance floor. Heero placed one hand on her hip, and held her hand with his other. Both of them moved with a practiced ease and grace. His cobalt eyes pierced hers.

"You okay?" He asked. She only nodded, and they continued to dance in a comfortable silence. She finally asked.

"How long do we have to stay?"

"Till the cat's dead," He replied with a smirk. Nikita actually laughed aloud. The sound was musical and contagious. Heero's smirk grew into a smile.

"What does that even mean?" He asked. She laughed again.

"It's from this scientific theory that I remember studying. A paradox of sorts," Nikita explained. He nodded, and his eyes widened slightly. It took Nikita a moment to realize that he was looking at something behind her.

"What is it?" She questioned.

"Someone I know. She could blow my cover," He replied evenly. Her eyebrow went up, and her entire face formed a question mark. Heero did not respond to her unspoken question.

"Has she recognized you?" Nikita finally asked. Heero shook his head no, and carefully wheeled Nikita around so that his back facing the girl. She did not search through the crowd for the girl. Nikita did not want to draw any attention to Heero. She refused to jeopardize the mission. However, it was hard to ignore the way honey blonde eyebrows furrowed into a confused glare. The girl looked familiar, like she had seen her before on the news or something. She wore a pink dress with white gloves, and her honey blond hair flowed to her shoulders.

"She spotted you," Nikita warned. Heero tried not to grimace. It could complicate things. He prayed to a God that he didn't believe in to keep her from yelling his name from where she stood. She was smarter than that, he hoped.

"She's coming towards us," Nikita whispered. Heero groaned. He hated unknown unknowns. He quickly calculated the effects this could have on the mission. His rapid thoughts were abruptly interrupted, when a shrill voice called.

"May I cut in?" Relena questioned. Nikita bore no expression on her face, and gracefully parted from Heero. His hands followed her for a few inches, until they dropped numbly to his sides.

"Certainly," Nikita replied. She smiled at Heero and disappeared into the crowd. Heero's eyes followed her until he the pattern of the dance forced him to turn away. His hands were around Relena not unlike the way he held Nikita moment's before. Her scrawny form felt awkward in his grasp. She did not meld into his arms the way Nikita did. He inwardly sighed.

"What are you doing here, Relena?" Heero questioned. Relena's blue eyes flickered—he could not tell with what emotion.

"I could ask you the same…"

"Toshi," He supplied She smiled knowingly.

"I have some things to do here," He responded vaguely. Relena rolled her eyes. Even when he spoke, it was like he was silent.

"Ok, _Toshi._ Then who was that woman?" She questioned. Her voice stressed the name unnecessarily, and her eyebrow slowly rose before she continued, "One of your things to do?"

Heero was taken aback at her sudden haughty attitude. It was a side of Relena he had not been exposed to. He could not help the smirk that tugged at his lips.

"Maybe," He replied. Relena's face flushed with anger, and perhaps jealousy. She "humphed" audibly, but continued to dance with him.

"Relena, do not blow my cover," His plea sounded more like a demand.

"Or else what?" She questioned.

"I _will_ kill you," He replied easily. It was the coldness of his glare that made her eyes widen. The words were not foreign to her. Relena fell silent for a few moments, and the song ended. Heero removed his hands and disappeared into the crowd. Her eyes quivered dejectedly as she watched his retreating form.

"Heero..." She whispered. Relena's eyes hardened when she noticed Nikita, and the tender way he held her hand. She noted that their fingers were intertwined, like lovers. She felt her face flush angrily at the thought. Where they lovers? There was definitely something between them. She needed to know exactly what, and why the two of them were there. She would keep a close eye on them.

---

So…what do you think? Not expecting a Relena cameo? Me either actually, but conflict makes things interesting. Review, please!

Sylver Secret


	7. You won't like where I've been

**Like Melting Ice**

**---**

_Who could Heero be targeting at a place like this? _Nikita thought to herself, sipping at her glass of Pinot Grigiot. The wine was cool and sweet, but warmed her throat and chest instantly. Her eyebrows knit together in graceful thought. Something just didn't feel right. It was a benefit gala hosted by Helping Hand Foundation, Inc. The organization was mostly made up of philanthropic millionaires. This particular function was dedicated to the repairing damages tied to the war. The money went to rebuilding cities, funding orphanages, helping the families of lost soldiers…all very legitimate causes. She bit her lip in thought. Heero must have noted her engaged expression. Because he inquired.

"What is it?" He inquired.

"I'm not exactly sure yet, but I I'll be right back. I'm going to powder my nose," She replied, taking another sip of wine. Heero idly wondered what "nose powder" was for, as he nodded. He—almost longingly—watched her walk away.

Nikita gently tapped her earpiece. On the other end, Wufei perked to attention.

"I read you. What is it?"

" 'Fei, I've got a really nagging feeling about this," She said in a hushed tone. The powder room was empty, but she didn't want to run the risk of jeopardizing the mission if her hunch was incorrect.

"You're fine. Just follow the— " He began, but Nikita interrupted.

"No, that's just it! I'm not worried about being here; it's the mission I'm concerned about!" She hissed. Nikita didn't have to see Wufei to know what face he was making.

"What are you talking about, woman?" He asked with a gentle exasperation. It was not unlike the way a parent spoke to a babbling child. She ignored his tone and continued.

"This place is legit, it's a charity. I think you guys have the wrong target!" She whispered.

"Quiet! You can't be sure if you're secure where you are. Come to the car. Out." He instructed. She caught herself nodding, even though he could not see her. Out of habit she checked her reflection a moment before she headed out of the powder room.

"Ok, Explain yourself," Wufei ordered as she sat in the backseat of the car.

"It's a benefit gala, hosted by the Helping Hand's foundation. The only people there are philanthropists and political figure heads!"

Wufei was not really listening, "And your point is?"

"Including Relena _Peacecraft_," She replied, stressing the name—with slight distaste.

"Peacecraft? But why would she…has she spotted Heero?" He questioned. Nikita nodded "She's probably trying to get into his pants as we speak." She muttered under her breath in French. He arched an eyebrow.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. The target—what's the targets name?"

"Anne T. d'Rivotahv," He replied showing her the picture. It was a firm, yet handsome woman with dark hair and wise eyes. She wore a peaceful smile.

Nikita's eyes widened.

"That's not her name," She whispered with her hand over her mouth. Wufei arched a black eyebrow, and glanced back at the file.

"That's impossible, the file—"

She shook her head, "No! That is not her name. First of all it's a horrible play on words. Second of all, that is Integra Cartwright. She's the CEO of Helping Hands, Cartwright Enterprises, and D.O.V.E. All organizations dedicated to rebuilding after the war. My brother admired her—she inspired him to design more than just weapons. If she's assassinated the public will— "

"Have one more reason to trust OZ's false peace," Wufei finished for her. His eyebrows knit into a scowl.

"I'm surprised you didn't make the connection, Fei," She said shaking her head, "Come on…Anne T. D'Rivotahv? Anti-derivative….Integral...Integra."

"Son of a gun," he mused, "We have to abort the mission."

"Does Heero have an earbud?" Nikita questioned. Wufei shook his head.

"Couldn't conceal it as easily as yours—you have to go in there and warn him! Be discreet. You can't be sure who is there to ensure that the objectives are carried out," He warned. She nodded, and hurried back to the party. Luckily for her, Heero still sat at the table nonchalantly sipping a glass of water. She sat beside him.

"That was a long time to powder your nose," He commented. Nikita smiled.

"I spoke with the driver," She began remembering the coded language she was supposed to use, "And I'm afraid the engagement's off."

A surprised noise escaped his lips, and Nikita prayed that he could read the look in her eyes. Heero immediately deciphered the meaning, but his expression portrayed a one-worded question. _Why? _Nikita paused, discreetly listening to Wufei's voice in her ear.

"She's just, not the one…too much like that situation involving Noventa," She replied, unconsciously lowering her voice when she spoke the name. Heero's eyebrows shot up, and his blue eyes widened slightly at reference. The images of the destroyed plane flooded his thoughts. Memories of his methodical atonement swirled in his mind. Painful thoughts metamorphosed into anger—directed inward. He seethed as he realized he'd nearly been duped again. He would have killed the little girl and her dog again. He would have killed Sylvia Noventa's father again. Innocent blood would stain his hands once more.

All the time and effort—wasted. Why hadn't he figured it out? He _knew_ something had been off with the orders, he had felt it. But he still followed them. Heero inwardly sighed, and regarded Nikita wearily.

"What a waste," He muttered sullenly. Nikita's sent him a gentle glance, and placed her hand on his. Heero looked up at her—almost confused.

"Not a complete waste—it's been an interesting date at least," She offered. Laughter glinted in his eyes, and she smiled broadly as gently stroked the length of his fingers. Heero smiled with his eyes, it was a tiny flicker—barely noticeable. He made his customary grunt of acknowledgement, although it was gentler than usual. His blue eyes drank her in slowly, her soft rounded features, the milky smoothness of her skin, the way her hair in tumbled about her shoulders in chocolate waves. Her scent—roses, always roses, though she never wore perfume. Her eyes were large, a warm brown that reminded him of Earth summers. Even her voice –in speech or in song—was whimsical and gentle, like wind, or ocean waves…something else equally as poetic.

"What?" She questioned noting his open, penetrating gaze. There was a gentle flicker in his eyes. Nikita could not tell what it was, but it was not unkind. There was moment of comfortable silence before Heero spoke.

"One more dance before we go?" The question with rewarded with a graceful, yet beaming smile. Nikita stood slowly, and offered him her hand. He gladly accepted, leading her to the dance floor once more. Much to both of their surprise—the music which played was not a waltz, a gavotte or any other "stuffy old-folks" dance. A lively, Merengue--perhaps a Salsa---wafted from the corner orchestra. She glanced at Heero with timid smile.

"Can you handle this?" She questioned, figuring his dance repertoire was fairly limited. He spun her by the arm and pulled her close to him. The other hand grasped the small of her back. Cobalt eyes danced mischievously, and his lips toyed with a playful smirk.

"Can you?"

Nikita returned the look with a deviant smile of her own.

"Of course."

Heero adjust the arm on her lower back, and held her hand at eye level with the other. Swiftly and skillfully, the dance began. Heero marked time with the forward "limping" motion signature of the dance. Nikita swayed her hips at the same tempo. The distance between they're swaying bodies waxed and waned. Heero spun her around twice, and brought her closer. Her back pressed against him for eight sensual, agonizing counts. His hand guided her hip's suggestive sways, knowing that his breath was close enough to tease her exposed neck.

Heero spun her quickly—she spun several times before she faced him. Heero pulled her closer than before. So close that there legs were entangled, and their foreheads nearly touched. The closeness coupled with their suggestive movements sparked a tingling beneath his belt. He moved both hands low on her waist and dipped her with calculated grace and sensuality. Heero suppressed a groan at the actions his movements were imitating. He brought her back up, their legs still intertwined. The rhythmic "limping" continued and the fight to keep his hand only on her waist was becoming more difficult.

A small crowd had formed to watch their dance. He ignored them—she was too engaged to notice. The end of the dance and the song came simultaneously. The band with a brass hit---them with a very engaged dip. Nikita's back arched easily his arms, her hair cascading to the floor. Her left leg was wrapped around his body for support. Heero snapped her upright in time with the brass hit. The crowd they had drawn erupted into applause. A bead of perspiration formed on his brow—but not from the exertion of the dance. Breathlessly, Nikita spoke.

"We should go."

"_Now_," Heero agreed, unable to mask this lusty husk in his voice.

------

"Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire." --Anonymous.

Hehehe---I love sexy dancing. Youtube the Merengue or Salsa to get an idea if you are confused.

Sylver Secret


	8. S'ok, we have each other now, friend

What are those little oblong, yellow citrus fruits…they're sour..it's juices go well with sugar and water---oh, that's right….LEMONS! Here's a fairly large one coming up. Feel free to scroll passed it if it's too graphic, it's not very pertinent to the plot (what plot?). :-P

**Like Melting Ice**

The time between leaving the dance floor and arriving at the house was lost. Somehow Nikita was in Heero's room—she didn't even remember walking up the stairs. Had he carried her? The lust she had seen in his eyes at the party had not dissipated. It had doubled in intensity, and any coherent thought was lost when he pulled her close to him. His scent filled her nostrils—aftershave and gun powder. Strong, but not unpleasant. He kissed her gently. But the gentility did not last. His arms pulled her into him possessively and his hands began to roam. The satin material of her dress was smooth under his fingertips. She moaned into his mouth, her hands entangled in his hair. The way her nails grazed his neck and scalp sent tingles down his spine. He parted, and planted a kiss on her jawbone. He suckled tenderly at sensitive spot between her neck and shoulders. Nikita closed her eyes and moaned. He inwardly smirked at the thought of the range of sounds he planned on making her produce.

Heero kissed her lips once more and deftly unhooked the clasp of her haltered dress. The bodice slid down easily, revealing a black lace strapless bra. He slid down the rest of the dress and it fell around her ankles in a puddle of ripping satin. Lacy black panties matched the bra. Still engaged in the kiss, Heero guided her to the bed. He picked her up and laid her down. He legs hung over the edge of the bed and he stood between her knees. With half-lidded, lust-ridden eyes she looked up at him. He bent to kiss her protruding collarbone. She moaned quietly, reaching up to push off his tux jacket. Her fingers trembled nervously, as she fumbled with his tie. Nikita all but clawed at his dress shirt buttons as he administered slow, sensual kisses. He paused to allow her to pull both the dress shirt and undershirt over his head. Nikita pulled him towards her, and pressed his exposed flesh against hers. She gently raked her fingernails along his spine. He trembled slightly, and slid his palms up her abdomen and over the lace of her bra. His fingers found a way beneath it, and she moaned. His manhood tightened painfully against his dress pants.

"Nikita," He breathed heavily, "Stop me now, before I can't stop myself."

"No," She whispered, "I don't want you to stop."

His wandering hands found the clasp to her bra, as Nikita unfastened his pants. Heero stood before her his arousal pressing painfully against his silk boxers. He leaned forward, caressing her newly exposed bosom. His mouth found a soft breast, his tongue flitting over erect nipples. She moaned and her hands went to his hair. He alternated breasts, as he gently nudged her with his knee. He could feel her dampness. The moans that blessed his ministrations fed his ever growing erection. Heero's tongue left a wet trail down her flat stomach, and he nibbled at the patch of skin just below her navel. Her body trembled as he proceeded to remove the lace panties with his teeth. He sampled the fruit of her sex, and was rewarded with a throaty gasp. Her hips bucked from the pleasure of his attentions. He smirked at the reaction and continued with expert precision. Nikita's sighs and moans increased in volume as she neared the height of ecstasy.

"No, Heero, don't stop…" She whimpered as he pulled away. Heero smirked, but the lust evident in the way her lips wrapped around his name caused his arousal to ache. Even in a sexual context, her voice was lilting and musical. With a broadening smirk, Heero wondered if she would sound musical screaming his name. His intentions of teasing were thwarted. Nikita had freed his erection, and grabbed him by it. He groaned softly, and she pulled him towards her. He almost fell on her, but caught himself with an arm on either side of her on the bed. Heero kissed her deeply as he entered her slowly. She gasped, and her tightness increasing as he delved in. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper. Her fingernails dug into his back, leaving red trails. The scratches were a welcomed pain. Though he enjoyed teasing with slow movements—it was unbearable for him. He caved, and increased speed. Nikita squealed, grasping him tightly. Heero suckled at her neck as he rode her, she could not contain her moans. One hand was in her hair, and the other guided her onto him. Nikita arched her back, and he could feel muscles contracting in an impending climax. He doubled his efforts until she called his name in orgasmic bliss. Heero brought her to climax three times before he finally collapsed beside her on the bed.

"Whoa," She whispered with a dreamy awe. He chuckled quietly and let his arm settle around her possessively. The curves of their bodies fit and the warmth was comforting. She drifted to sleep quickly and easily. Heero's cobalt eyes watched her breathe as she slept. If he had ever felt lost before, the feeling had dissipated. He had found something, though his mind told him it was purely physical. The attraction had been there from the beginning. His fingers toyed with the slick surface of her skin. The touches were soft and careful—he didn't want to wake her. It was not long before he drifted off to sleep himself.

He dreamed of the little girl again.

"_Are you lost?" The little girl asked. Her dark brown hair rippled in the wind. _

"_I've been lost since the day I was born," Heero replied. The puppy yelped and ran away, but the little girl simply watched it scamper off. She dropped the useless leash in the grass and sighed._

"_Isn't it sad? I'm lost too," She whispered almost tearfully. The little girl didn't cry though. She sat down next to Heero, who looked up at the sky. It was still painfully blue._

"_It's alright. I'll follow my heart to find my way," He stated thoughtfully. A hopeful smile broke onto her face. _

"_Can I follow you?" She asked quietly, cautiously. Heero's eyes hardened and became distant. His pain and sadness was so palpable that the little girl could almost reach out and touch it. He sighed._

"_I don't think it's a good idea. You won't like where I'm going," He said gently. She wanted to ask where he was going, but didn't. The little girl shrugged, and her brown eyes became downcast. She wrought her hands. _

"_That's alright, you wouldn't like where I've been," She whispered. He wanted to ask where she had been, but didn't. They were quiet for a moment. She took his hand and smiled sadly._

"_It doesn't matter where you're going, or where I've been."_

"_Why?" Heero questioned. _

"_It doesn't matter how lost we get. We have each other now, we'll find a way!" Her voice became more emphatic, more cheerful. She giggled. The little girl released his hand, and stood up. She smiled at him, handing him a yellow flower._

"_Take this. I have to go now, but I'll be back. I promise!" _

_The little girl ran towards a tall, white apartment complex. She had barely reached the stairs when nearby mobile suits exploded. She had no chance at all. He didn't even remember pressing the detonator. _

Heero's eyes snapped open. The sweat on his body was cold. He reached out for the warm slumbering body that should have been beside him. There was no one there, just a rumpled sheet.

---

Knights of Columbus! That took forever! I had written like 5 versions of this chapter, but I think I like this one the best. Anyhow, leave a review—they make me smile!

Syl


	9. Though it seems that once again I'm lost

-1**Like Melting Ice**

The door to Nikita's room was slightly ajar. Heero pushed it open slowly, peering in. Rays of dawn seeped through the open blinds, illuminating a bed. Its sheets and coverlets were neatly made, showing no sign that a human being had ever slept there. Though it had been only been hours since the desk was littered with hand-drawn schematics and calculations, they were all gone. Its worn wood was clean and bare. The closet was open, showing its empty interior. It was no longer Nikita's room. It was the spare room once again. The only evidence of her presence was the light aroma of roses. Heero inhaled deeply, and sighed. Would she have left without saying good-bye? If he left, would he have said good-bye? He knew he wouldn't, and therefore shouldn't be angry. However, he did not mind the idea of her waking in his arms. He had almost looked forward to it. Heero pushed the thought aside, and headed downstairs. The other pilots were asleep or absent as far as he could tell. The kitchen and the living room were empty.

Heero found himself in the hangar, the last room in the house. It too was empty save for the five Gundams standing proudly, staring indifferently into the distance. He looked up at Zero. Nikita had proved her worth as a mechanic. There was no evidence that the machine had ever been damaged. She had even seen to the more cosmetic repairs that he had never worried about. It was a beautiful, powerful machine.

Heero leapt up to the cockpit in several bounds. He keyed open the hatch and stepped inside. Heero sat behind the controls, noticing that she had replaced the fraying safety belt and many of the worn grips and buttons. It was then he noticed a small disk laying among the controls labeled "play me." Heero picked up the disk, and slipped it into the software drive. Suddenly his ears were filled with Nikita's sweet voice.

"Hey Heero. As you've probably noticed, the repairs are complete. Now listen closely, I will only say this once. Below the communication's control should be a new switch. That controls the cloaking device. Directly below, you'll see another set of controls. Lever turns on the sensors, slide dials adjust sensitivity—yellow button pulls up the 3D map. Diagonal of the self-detonation switch box should be a box similar to it. Flip it up and see three buttons. Green is the EMP, Yellow is the sonic boom, and Red is the detonation device. Happy Hunting!"

Her voice trailed a bit and the cockpit was silent again. He fondled the new controls tenderly, thinking of where she might have gone. His train of thought was interrupted by sounds outside the cockpit. He decided to test the new radar, and pressed the yellow button. The holographic map appeared revealing the lithe figure of the Heavyarms pilot. Trowa stood at the entrance of the hangar, leaning against the wall. He directed his gaze at the activated Wing Zero. Heero opened the hatch, and sat on the door of the cockpit. He his legs dangled over the edge.

"Were you looking for her?" Trowa questioned. He almost had to shout to be heard. Heero nodded. Trowa leapt up Wing Zero in several bounds and sat beside Heero. He did not like to shout.

"Did you see where she went?" Heero questioned.

"I saw her leaving. She said she had to go home," Trowa replied.

"Did she say why?" Heero inquired. Trowa shook his head.

"Only that something came up. I overheard part of her phone conversation though,"

Heero's cobalt eyes waited expectantly for Trowa to divulge the information. The green-eyed pilot swung his legs back and forth beneath him.

"She was crying, speaking to her mother. Apparently something happened to her younger sister and she had to go meet her mother at her apartment immediately. They were going to leave from there to go remedy the situation."

Heero furrowed his brow. If OZ soldiers had been monitoring where she worked, they would be watching where she lived. There was no way that her apartment was safe. If they got to her and her disk, missions could get infinitely more difficult. Would her mother know that? Probably not. Not good.

Heero didn't bother with the cable and jumped down from the mobile suit. He literally hit the ground running His mind switched to mission mode. He grabbed his keys, phone and gun. He tucked the Glock into the waistband of his pants, and stomped his feet into his worn yellow sneakers. As he bounded down the stairs, he mentally listed worst case scenarios and formulated plans for them. Hopping into his car, he gunned the engine and sped away. Traffic was light, but his fingers tingled has he handled the wheel. He was nervous. He was never nervous before a mission. But this was different. What if he was too late?

He stepped on the gas.

All together the drive was only eight minutes, but it seemed like a lifetime. He pulled into the parking lot and ran to the front door. It was electronically sealed. Remembering the code from the one other time he had been there, he punched it in. He wasted no time bounding up the stairs. Heero walked silently down the carpeted hallway of the second floor. The door to her apartment was not fully closed. It had been forced open. Not good. He pulled out his Glock and nudged the door with it. It groaned quietly. The apartment was in a disarray. It had been ransacked. There were papers, clothes, books and broken glass all over the floor.

He heard the muffled sounds of crying. He followed the sound into the bathroom. The door had been blocked by an overturned dresser. Heero heaved the furniture across the floor, and open the door. A very pretty older woman was sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Her face was in her hands. Her short brown hair covered her face, even as she looked up at Heero. Her red-rimmed brown eyes widened, but remained sad.

"Are you here to kill me?" She asked quietly. Heero holstered his gun and knelt before her. Through the tears and swollen eyes, he could still see the blatant resemblance.

"No, I came to see if Nikita was alright. Where is she?"

The woman paused, peering into Heero's cobalt blue eyes. Her brown eyes probed and analyzed, searching for credibility. She scowled.

"How can I know I can trust you?"

Heero's mouth twitched knowingly. It was almost a smirk.

"How can I know if _I _can trust _you_?"

There was silence.

"Soldiers came and carried her off, she barricaded me in here just before they came."

"She didn't want you to charge in and save her," Heero stated. Nikita's mother nodded, gracefully wiping tears from her face.

"I had just gotten her back, after Elliot--I cant lose another child," She whispered. Heero felt sympathy for the woman, it glistened in his cobalt eyes for just a moment. He didn't want to lose Nikita either, but he didn't think it was time to make that declaration.

"I could here them from the window, they're taking her to outerspace," She said carefully. Her eyes were closed as if she was watching the memory on the back of her eyelids.

"How long ago did this happen?"

"Less than an hour ago," She replied. Heero frowned thoughtfully. The nearest facility equipped with aircrafts capable of atmospheric flight was one hour north by mobile suit. The trail would still be warm, but how would he get to her in a mobile suit battle? She would surely get killed in the crossfire. The odds of her survival were lower if they battled in space. But the longer she's held capitive, the more information they may be able to extract. Nikita was strong, but Heero had no idea what kind of torture she could withstand. The thought of them harming her caused his fist to tighten reflexively.

"My name is Genevieve Trique, will you save my daughter, young man?"

Heero nodded, using one finger to catch a stray tear. "You won't lose your little girl."

OMG, that took like ten years! So sorry about the wait. I hope you enjoy.

Syl


	10. Ill save another no matter what the cost

-1

**Like Melting Ice**

Nikita awoke on a cold, hard floor. Her head was pounding with what felt like a lingering hangover. Her biological clock told her that only a few hours had passed. The space port nearest her apartment was about an hour away, and the nearest base was at least days away. They could be en route, but she was experiencing Earth gravity. Artificial gravity was always slightly less powerful than the Earths. She thought about dropping something to make sure--and do the calculations in her head, but it would be a waste of precious energy. Besides, physics wasn't going to help her headache. Where could she be? She was in a holding cell, so it had to be military. Nikita sighed and brought her hands to her face.

Much to her surprise, she had not been bound.

However, her cell was completely escape proof. There was a tiny light on the ceiling high above her head. It's floors and walls were worn, but sturdy metal. Nikita judged it to be Neo-titanium. There was a very tiny seam making the outline of a fairly tall door. There was a smaller square that looked like it would open up. Probably to give her food--if she was that lucky. Nikita sat up and patted her self for bruises. She was unharmed and in her original clothing: Jeans, black T-shirt and tennis shoes. She searched her pockets, finding that her tiny cell phone, wallet and keys were still there. _That's odd_, Nikita thought, _Maybe this stuff wasn't considered hazardous. _She flipped open her cell and her heart leaped for joy. She had battery power. It was only a little, but it was enough to get the job done. She turned it off quickly to conserve battery. What was she going to do? She could figure out how to use the battery as an explosive, or rig the radio waves to reconfigure the locks frequency. But what would she do after that? She didn't have a weapon or any hand-to-hand combat training. She could theoretically get out, and be immediately apprehended.

Nikita almost sighed in defeat, but suddenly remembered the significance of her cellular phone. Elliot had designed it after the first "visit" from Tsubarov. He was terrified of losing Nikita. He added a tracking feature to her phone that was activated through a distressed text message. Only two other phones would recognize her message, and perhaps a laptop. Elliot's phone was still in the apartment, deactivated. If there was any good left in the universe, Nicholas Dubois would have his phone. She turned on her phone and quickly began to compose her coded text. She told Nick the whereabouts of the safe house, how to contact Heero, and how to transfer the tracking data to a computer. She hit send.

The phone dawdled for a few moments before notifying the message had been sent. The phone then self destructed---for lack of a better term. It really just kind of fell into three unusable, unrecognizable pieces. Beneath one piece was a tiny pin-sized chip she recognized as the tracking device. It flashed twice indicating that it had been activated properly. Nikita nearly leaped for joy. Nick got her message! Now all she had to do was hide the evidence.

Nikita unzipped her jeans and slid the pin into the flesh above her pelvic bone. Once the device was secure she reassembled the phone and put it back in her pocket. As soon as she returned to her unassuming, prone position on the floor the door swung open. She closed her eyes, going limp. She could hear the thudding boots of two soldiers. They were muttering. From the sound of it, it was the same two soldiers that over powered her at her apartment.

"She's _still_ out?" One of them asked incredulously. Gloved hands picked her up roughly. She made sure to stay limp as a rag doll. It could work to her advantage, maybe they wouldn't tie her up.

"_Maybe they'll cop a feel…or worse," _She thought with a bitter shudder.

"She's got tremors, how much did you inject her with? If she's dead, we're dead."

"I gave her the average dose," The other soldier replied defensively.

"Average?! Look at her she weighs like four pounds!" The first soldier cried. Nikita wanted to laugh, but successfully stifled the urge. The rest of her transport was silent and awkward. They placed her down gently as if dumping her unceremoniously would somehow kill her. She watched them leave through her eyelashes. Once they were gone she took in her new surroundings. She was in a room similar to the one she just left except there was a filled bathtub in the corner, a toilet in the other, and a pile of clothes folded on floor. Bathing necessities were on the edge of the tub, even razors. Nikita arched an eyebrow, did they really find her so innocuous that she didn't need a guard?

As soon as the thought formulated in her mind, a petite female soldier burst into the room. She was about the same age as Nikita, maybe younger. She looked frazzled, as if she was running late. She was woofing down the remains of a sandwich when her blue eyes went wide at the sight of Nikita.

"God, I'm so late--I'm really going to get fired," She muttered. Nikita glanced at her nameplate. Schbeiker. She really wanted to instantly dislike the girl, but it was going to be difficult. Besides, she could at least be friendly with the person who was going to be watching her bathe. And maybe if she played her cards right, Schbeiker could leak some useful information.

"It's alright, they should give you more time for lunch," Nikita stated. Schbeiker blushed for a moment before she nodded vigorously in agreement. Her expressions were very animated, very---unsoldierlike.

"They always give the guys the full 30 minutes, but as soon as I sit down its-BAM! Schbeiker do this, Schbeiker do that! It's no wonder my sister deserted!" The girl froze as if she had said a curse word in front of her mother. Nikita smiled. It was going to be very difficult to dislike the girl.

"Don't worry. As you can see, I'm not in a position to tell on anybody." Nikita said with a sweeping glance at her bathing quarters. Schbeiker chuckled and ushered her towards the tub.

"Go ahead, get undressed--give me your belongings and take a bath."

Nikita nodded mutely and followed the instructions quickly. They were going to check her clothes for bugs, and other dangerous things. Lucky for her, the tracking device under her skin was undetectable.

Nikita sat down in the tub with her knees drawn to her chest. The water was tepid. She grabbed the packaged washcloth and military issue soap. As she washed, Scbeiker manually checked her clothes for bugs. She put her wallet, cell and keys into separate bags. A few moments later she used a hand held scanner to go over the clothes. The machine didn't beep. The entire process took about three minutes. Afterwards, she just stood in the corner looking awkward and uncomfortable. Nikita decided that now would be a good time as any to make a friend---or at least loose an enemy.

"Schbeiker?" She asked uncertainly. The girl looked up, with an eagerness in her eyes that spoke of her loathe for silence.

"Yes, 577319?" She asked hopefully. Nikita couldn't help but laugh. She couldn't really explain why it was funny to herself, let alone anyone else.

"Only my mother calls me that. I prefer Nikki."

Schbeiker laughed, "Alright. You can call me Heidi. If you promise not to tell. Not that anyone knows anyone's first name around here. To be frank the whole number think skeeves me out. I mean. This is not a concentration camp. I don't think they torture people."

_Rookie_, Nikita thought sadly. She felt the fear rising in her spine. The thought of concentration camps reminded her of her position, no matter the kindly disposition of the rookie soldier before her. Flashes of her older brother filled her mind's eye. She dropped the washcloth and covered her face. She spoke through her wet, soapy hands.

"Are you sure they wont torture me? They had my brother once…he was never the same. If they're going to torture me, if they're going to rape me…just tell me. So I just figure a way to kill myself now." Nikita whispered. Tears escaped from her eyes. Heidi looked like she wanted to drop the clipboard and run to hug Nikita. But she didn't, she looked down at her paper with watery eyes. Maybe her training was kicking in. Maybe it would have been awkward to hug a naked stranger who was in the tub.

"You don't like this job do you?" Nikita asked. The girl just shook her head.

"I need to pay for school. I want to be kindergarten teacher, but I can't afford it. My father's been long gone, and my mother's sick. My sister Hilde joined for the same reasons, but she deserted. She said she was on the wrong side of the war. She's probably right. She's probably dead. But…"She trailed off red in the face, "Shizeh. You're not supposed to know this much about me."

Nikita had grabbed the towel and dried herself off. She noticed that Heidi turned away to give her privacy. Once she was dressed in the drab jumpsuit of a prisoner, she walked up behind Heidi and gave her a hug. She whispered.

"I know this room has to be monitored. Heidi, these men will ask them to die for you. How can you die, how can you kill for something that you don't believe in? If this war continues--there wont be any schools left, your family will be dead, and you will be on the side that sees triumph in the destruction. All because you wanted to pay the bills…"

Nikita withdrew, and Heidi's face was ashen. A tear snaked out of her eyes, but she wiped it away. She turned around and bound Nikita's wrists behind her back. They cuffs were intentionally loose. She gave Nikita a sad, knowing smile as she lead her down the corridor to her original cell. Her chances of escape were increased, but still low. As Heidi gave her one last lingering look, she felt the tracker heat up beneath her skin. She smiled at the petite soldier girl. Someone was coming.

_-- -- -- -- _

What did you guys think? I wrote this when I should have been running errands and studying for calc II, so I hope you enjoy the fruit of my procrastination!

Syl


	11. Just hold on, I'm on my way

Nicolas Dubois swore heavily as a series of shrill beeps woke him from sleep

It's been entirely too long since I updated this story. I'm so sorry, but here's a fairly long chapter. Enjoy

Syl

**Like Melting Ice**

Nicolas Dubois swore heavily as a series of shrill beeps woke him from sleep. He moved groggily until he realized the strange, archaic pattern of the sound. Short Short Short. Long Long Long. Short Short Short. It was a distress call, in Morris Code. He snapped to attention. Elliot was long cold in the ground, leaving only his younger sister as the source of the call. He disassembled his phone, removing a small chip almost identical to the SIM card. He slid the chip into the appropriate slot in his laptop and began to decode the message. Nicholas' face fell. Nikita had been kidnapped. Her message gave detailed directions to a safehouse—the whereabouts of Heero Yuy, the man she believed could save her. Nikita had given him this address before, he'd written it on a post-it note and stuck it..somewhere…

He scrambled around his apartment looking for Heero's contact information. Nikita had left it with him a few weeks ago, when she discovered that's where she was going to be working for a while. Then he had remembered. It was hidden, in the back of his freezer. He retrieved the frozen post-it note and proceeded to pack near the speed of light. He took the stairs 3 to 4 at a time before sliding into the driver's seat of his dark, modified sports car. He fed Heero's contact information into the navigation, and took off with nitrous boost.

"Shit, Nikita, shit, shit, SHIT!" He swore loudly, sweating profusely as he swerved around an SUV to run a red light. His navigation system indicated that there were no police cars in the vicinity, and he damn near broke the sound barrier.

The three and a half minutes it took to reach the safe house seemed an eternity. Nicholas threw the car into park, and ran to the door and knocked frantically. He prayed that he could trust these people--that it wasn't some sick, twisted trap. He did not have any other options, he had to try. He promised Elliot that he'd take care of and protect Nikita—only now did it become clear the implications of that promise.

A shirtless man in black sweatpants opened the door. His hair was in a disheveled braid, with bangs that obscured violet eyes darkened with worry and suspicion. Nicholas swallowed, realizing that he could not see either of the man's hands—and had to look up at him. His muscles were sculpted from stone. Perhaps, the stone of gods.

"I'm looking for Heero Yuy," He paused for a moment before adding, "It's about Nikita."

The man's eyes widened and narrowed, and before Nicholas could blink, he'd been dragged into the house and pinned against the wall by the collar. He did not have to look down to see that the cold metal pressing into his throat was a gun. He also didn't have to look down to see that his feet were an inch off of the ground. He struggled to breathe.

"Where is she?" The man demanded gruffly.

"Duo! Drop him!" A familiar voice called. Duo turned let go, allowing Nicholas to stumble gasping to the floor. His glock was still leveled at the man.

"Thank you, Quatre," He managed between gasps. The blonde pilot helped the man to his feet, and Duo lowered his gun—but didn't seem particularly impressed.

"Talk," He ordered.

"Nikita sent me a distress signal. She was captured and taken to outer space not far from the Lunar base. Attached to the message was a Universal Positioning Device, making it possible to triangulate her exact location."

"How accurate is the tracker?" Duo questioned.

"Within days distance from Earth because of atmospheric interference," Nicholas replied, still rubbing his throat.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Duo inquired further, raising his weapon once more. Quatre grimaced, but said nothing.

"You don't. But I don't know if I could trust you, or this Yuy character. I'm taking it on blind faith that the message itself isn't a trap, luring all of us into the jaws of Oz. But I swore to protect her, so if you kill me because you don't trust me—I would at least die an honest man," Nicholas explained exasperatedly.

"Fair enough," Duo said, lowering his gun again, "But if I find out otherwise…"

He left the threat hanging. Nicholas just nodded, "Where can I find Heero?"

Trowa seemed to step out of the woodwork. Nicholas was mildly disconcerted.

"He went to check her apartment hopefully to intercede, but was too late. I imagine he should be returning soon, especially if he learned she's in outer space," He said quietly.

"That's true, the nearest space port is about an hour from here, and that's by mobile suit," Quatre stated. Duo nodded in agreement, "If that's the case, he'll probably take Zero."

As if cued by a conductor, Heero burst into the house. He looked prepared to run straight to the hanger, but noticed the stranger and reached for his gun. Nicholas was looking down the barrel before he could even see where the muscular man had pulled it from. _This must be Heero_, he thought with a nervous gulp.

"Who the hell are you?" He questioned.

"I'm Nicholas, friend of Nikita—I know where she is, she said that if anyone could get to her—it was you," he replied. Heero narrowed his eyes, lowering his weapon. Nicholas handed him the chip that could triangulate her location. Before he blinked, Nicholas tasted cold metal. Sweat poured down his temples.

"If I discover that you are lying to me in _any way_…I will _fucking _kill you. Slowly. Got it?"

The expression on the man's face was cold, sincere, and genuinely terrifying. Heero removed the weapon so the frightened man could respond. Nicholas just nodded with frantic enthusiasm. Heero retrieved his laptop and immediately when to work. He pinpointed her location, and found the schematics of the base. Quatre's blonde brow narrowed as he poured over the blueprints, searching for possible points of entry, while simultaneously calculating the quickest and most efficient strategy of recovery.

"As soon as you're within range, use the new EMP that she equipped Zero with. That should disable their first wave of alarms until the back up generator kicks in, which should be…2 minutes, 45 seconds minimum," The blonde stated. Heero nodded, "That is more than sufficient time to infiltrate the base, kill the guards, and get to her cell. Leaving a large problem—"

"Getting her and yourself out safely," Quatre supplied.

"Exactly," Heero responded.

"Disguising yourself as a soldier, escorting her as a prisoner could buy you some time," Duo suggested.

"I know, but what if she's injured?"

Quatre's eyes softened at the very subtle hint of tenderness in his voice, but said nothing about it. He scratched his chin in thought.

"After the destruction of the technological grid, a few explosions in critical points, here, here and here" Quatre marked the spots with a pencil, "could cause a sufficient diversion for you to carry her out of the danger zone. Once you are out, one of us should be waiting with an MS carrier, space suits, and medical supplies for an efficient get away."

"You're gonna need someone with some serious maneuvering skills to pull that off," Duo noted. Heero nodded, "Yeah, I was counting on that."

Duo flashed a cocky smile, "Don't worry, we'll have her back in your bed, screaming your name by dinnertime."

Heero just glared, and Duo chuckled. Trowa turned to Nicholas, but made no move to pin him against the wall—or shove a gun in his mouth. He was mildly relieved, but there was something off-putting about the tall European. He had this nagging feeling that before he could blink, Nicholas would look down at a bloody wound and have absolutely no idea how it got there. He gulped.

"What do you know of the nature of her capture? What do they want with her?"

"Nik and her brother, if you didn't already know, are beyond genius engineers. She and her brother designed robot that could be controlled similarly to virtual reality. The Sergio Project. It was meant to be solely to perform medical procedures, but Oz had other plans."

"Mobile dolls?" Duo questions. Nicholas nodded, "But worse, they'd take commands direct from the brain of the commander—without damaging his psyche, like the Zero system."

No one spoke, or threatened his life, so he continued, "Well, that and a whole slew of technological advances were on a disk that Tsubarov had Nikki's brother killed for. Elliot gave them a copy the disk to save his sister; they killed him before getting the passcode. Even so, that copy did not contain information regarding the Sergio Project."

"Where is the original?" Heero questioned

"The fewer people that know, the better," Nicholas replied, half expecting Heero to beat the information out of it. The soldier just grunted, acknowledging his statement. Trowa began folding up blueprints, while Quatre placed a comforting hand on Nicholas' shoulder. The wordless gesture almost moved him to tears. He closed his eyes momentarily. Heero and Duo headed towards the hanger before, Nicholas called out. They both turned around.

"Bring her home safe, Heero Yuy," Nicholas stated, daring for the first time to look into the soldier's cobalt eyes. He saw worry in them for a split second, which was erased by a wave of determination. He nodded

"Mission Accepted."


	12. I wont let go, not today

**Like Melting Ice**

-- ---- ---- ---- --- --- --- ---

The pain was indescribable. Nikita barely had the wherewithal to form cognitive thoughts. Nikita was curled into a fetal position on the floor of her cell and used all of her willpower to refrain from whimpering. She bled from her nose. Her sides radiated an excruciating pain that could only stem from refused to give them the satisfaction. Her left eye was swollen shut, her lip was split, and blood trickled bruised and broken ribs. The metal cuffs that bound her hands behind her back dug mercilessly into the flesh of her wrists. The clothes that Heidi had brought her were damaged beyond recognition. The rags barely covered her bruised and broken body.

Nikita cringed reflexively when she heard the familiar sound of metal scraping against metal as her cell door opened. Harsh white light poured into the darkness accosting her sensitive eyes. She clenched her eyes shut, awaiting the feeling of a steel toe boot in her ribs—the customary wake up call. Instead she heard a vaguely familiar, horrified gasp. It was Heidi.

"Oh my God," She whispered. Nikita could not see the tears welling in the young soldiers wide eyes, but she could hear them in her voice. Even in her insurmountable pain, Nikita longed to reach out and comfort the grieving youth. Her jaw ached too much to even try and speak words of consolation. It was at that moment, that she realized how young the soldier was---how young she, herself, was. Nikita missed her family. Not just Elliot, but Julia and her Mother as well. She longed to just set her aching head on her mother's lap. She would dress her wounds and kiss her eyes. She would sing a gentle song while absently stroking her hair. How long had it been since she had felt her mother's comfort? She couldn't remember. Nikita's grip on consciousness was slack, and she slowly began to fade. As she slipped away, she heard a distant altercation between Heidi and her interrogator get interrupted by the sound of explosions and emergency sirens.

"She's in here. She's hurt pretty bad," Nikita heard from outside the cell door. It was Heidi but who was she talking to?

The door swung open, and she heard heavy footsteps in a very familiar gate. Her heart began to race—but this time, it wasn't a symptom of fear.

"Nikita."

The voice was deep and so beautifully familiar that it brought tears to her eyes. Heero. Her eyes were still sensitive to the light, but she looked up anyway. She had to see his face. There was a moment's hesitation before he spoke again; a subtle indication of his worry. Heidi rushed across the cell and began to unlock her shackles.

"Can you speak?" Heero questioned. Nikita tried, but failed. She shook her head.

"Can you stand on your own?" He questioned further. She shook her head again. Heidi tossed the shackles and chains across the cell. The noise startled Nikita, and she reflexively and fearfully flinched. Heero knit his brow in silent fury.

He knelt down and picked her up as gently as he could. She winced in pain. Heero looked over at Heidi.

"Thank you," He stated curtly as he headed towards the door. Explosions thundered in the distance. Heidi's eyes widened, but she instinctively drew her weapon. Heero nodded approvingly, and poised himself to run.

"Let's go." He broke into an impressive sprint and Heidi was at his heels.

Duo heard the series explosions and knew that Heero had less than three minutes to bring Nikita aboard. A cocktail of adrenaline and anxiety shot through his veins. "Almost showtime," Duo announced with a dark grin. He powered up the engines.

Heidi saw the world in slow motion. She didn't even realize that the terrifying, bloodcurdling cry that rose above the sounds of war belonged to her. Her standard issue Glock was empty, and nine men lie dead in a trail down the corridor. The tenth blew past her and made a beeline for Heero. The soldier didn't get very far. Heidi threw he weapon into the air, and propelled it forward with a spinning high kick. The soldier looked back, hearing the loud contact between Heidi's steel-toe boot and the gun. The gun struck his face with such force that blood sprayed in all directions before the soldier fell to his knees, dropping his weapon. He looked up, dazed, and wondered how Heidi got so close to him so quickly. It was his last conscious thought. Heidi kicked high and brought her heel down on the man's skull. The smell of exposed brain and the sound of shattering bone seeped through made her sick. She breathed heavily and glanced over at Heero. He was on one knee at the very end of the corridor. He furiously punched in numbers into the keypad. He had to override the emergency lock that stood between him and his destination. The glaring oversight was going to have dire consequences. He had instructed Heidi to keep the guards busy while he worked. She was a good soldier, she took orders well. Heero glanced at the gruesome scene and corrected himself. She was an excellent soldier.

An extremely shrill, loud alarm sounded. Heidi gasped.

"_Red Alert. Red Alert. The facility will self-destruct in 300 seconds. Evacuate the premises. Evacuate the premises."_

The voice of the recording was cool, calm and markedly feminine. Heero looked down at the women on either side of him, calculating his options. Nikita released a painful groan, but said nothing. Heidi picked up the assault rifle that last, unfortunate soldier had dropped. She gestured with the gun that Heero should stand back. He complied. She fired a round at the small round, plane of bullet resistant glass. She used the butt of the weapon to clear the cavity of jagged edges.

"What the hell are you doing?" Heero demanded, putting down his space helmet to protect his eyes from the shards of glass. She ignored him and began to climb through the small hole she made. She forced her self through. It took less than 15 seconds. Heero peered through the hole in the door, but Heidi was no where insight. He could hear rummaging and the sound of an engine in the distance.

"Get the fuck away from the door!" She bellowed. Heero scooped Nikita up and ran. He heard the excruciating sound of metal forcing its way through metal. He turned in time to see a very familiar gundanium fist withdraw from the gaping hole that replaced the door he had been trying to unlock. Heero ran and vaulted through the hole. He hit the ground running.

"_..55 seconds. Evacuate the premises."_

The cockpit of Zero swung open, after Heidi had maneuvered the machine into a kneeling position. Then, in feat that could only be described as divine, Heero leapt from the floor of the hanger to the platform protruding from Zero's chest. The weight of Nikita in his arms put him off balance. He stumbled into the cockpit.

Heero laid Nikita on the floor. The space behind the pilot's chair was cramped, but it would have to do. Heidi cradled the injured woman's head in her lap, and gently stroked her hair. "Don't you die on me," She whispered, "Not yet."

Wing Zero blasted out of the hanger, and Heero manned the angelic machinery towards the rendezvous point. He initiated a transmission with Duo. The wide, dark eyes of Shinigami looked back at him almost immediately.

"02. Be prepared for quick departure. Base will destruct in 33 seconds.

"Roger that 01."

Duo felt Wing Zero rocket into the rear hatch of the mobile suit carrier, and he sprang into action. He closed the hatch and hit the power thrusters. The carrier jetted away from the doomed base and into the silent nothingness of space, where he wouldn't be able to hear the massive explosion. Though he focused on carefully dodging the flying debris, he could not help but worry about Nikita.

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So sorry bout the wait, but college eats my life. I really appreciate those who are patient enough to continue reading and reviewing. You inspire me to continue. Till next time…

~ Syl


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